HistoryData
general1971

Char Bhadrasan massacre

May 1, 1971

A wartime atrocity during the Bangladesh Liberation War in which Pakistani forces and Razakars killed 50–60 Hindu civilians in Faridpur district.

Quick Facts

Year
1971
Category
general

Key Facts

Civilians killed
50–60 unarmed Bengali Hindus
Households burned
300–350 Hindu households set on fire
Location
Faridpur district, East Pakistan
Date
Middle of May 1971
Villages targeted
Baidyadangi, Majhidangi, and Baladangi
Perpetrators
Pakistani army and Razakars led by Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed

By the Numbers

50
Civilians killed
300
Households burned
1,971
Date

Location

Char Bhadrasan, Bangladesh

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistani occupation forces and local Razakar militias systematically targeted Hindu-majority communities in East Pakistan. Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, organized and led a combined force of Razakars and Pakistani army personnel toward Hindu-dominated villages in Char Bhadrasan, Faridpur district.

Event

In mid-May 1971, the Pakistani army and Razakars descended on the villages of Baidyadangi, Majhidangi, and Baladangi in Char Bhadrasan. They massacred between 50 and 60 unarmed Bengali Hindu residents. The attackers also torched 300 to 350 Hindu households in a coordinated assault on the civilian population.

Consequence

The destruction of hundreds of homes forced surviving Hindu residents to flee the country as refugees. The massacre became one of many documented atrocities of the 1971 war, and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was later tried in Bangladesh for war crimes related to his role in such acts during the conflict.

Timeline Context

Timeline around 197119711968196919701972197319741971 treaty between Italy and Tunisia1971 European Athletics Championships — 1971 edition of the European Athletics Championships1971 CONCACAF Championship — 1971 edition of the CONCACAF Championship association football competition1971 Formula One season — sports seasonEurovision Song Contest 1971 — 16th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest1971–72 UEFA Cup — inaugural season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA1971–72 European Cup — 17th season of the UEFA club football tournament1971 World Women's Handball Championship — 1971 edition of the World Women's Handball Championshipchar-bhadrasan-massacre-1971