Lesson 2/34 min
The black night of 25 March and Big Bird
25 March 1971. President Yahya Khan leaves Dhaka for Karachi. At 11:30 pm Pakistani soldiers come out of the cantonment and attack demonstrating Bengalis at Farmgate without discrimination. Operation Searchlight begins.
The night in order
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 25 March, 11:30 pm | Soldiers leave the cantonment; the first attack is at Farmgate |
| Then | Simultaneous attacks on Pilkhana (EPR) and Rajarbagh Police Line |
| At dead of night | Attack on Dhaka University: Iqbal Hall (now Zahurul Haq Hall), Jagannath Hall, Rokeya Hall and the teachers' residential area |
| 26 March, 1:30 am | Bangabandhu is arrested from his house at Dhanmondi 32 |
The same night many people were killed or wounded by army fire in Chattogram too. The offices of the newspapers Ittefaq, Sangbad and The People were set on fire. In the big towns the Searchlight operations went on from the night of 25 March until the middle of May. The exact number killed that night is not known; foreign journalists were forced to leave and the press was under heavy censorship.
Operation Big Bird
- Operation Big Bird is the code name of the operation to arrest Bangabandhu, part of Searchlight
- Arrest: 26 March 1971, 1:30 am, at the Dhanmondi 32 house
- 25 March was a Thursday; the arrest came after midnight, so its date is 26 March
- The declaration message and the Kalurghat broadcasts are covered in the previous topic
Genocide Day
- The night of 25 March is known as the ‘black night’
- 25 March is the National Genocide Day
- The resolution to observe the day was passed in parliament on 11 March 2017
Watch out: Zubair's book gives 11 pm for the start of the army action, Khandokar 11:30 pm. According to Banglapedia it is 11:30 pm; take that as correct.
Watch out: Khandokar's book says Bhutto also left Dhaka on 25 March. According to Banglapedia, Yahya left on 25 March; Bhutto spent that night at Hotel Intercontinental, watched the operation, and left the next day.
Check yourself
What was the code name for the arrest of Bangabandhu, and when was he arrested?
At a glance
- 1
At 11:30 pm on 25 March 1971 soldiers leave the cantonment; the first attack is at Farmgate.
- 2
Attacked: Pilkhana, Rajarbagh Police Line, Dhaka University.
- 3
Bangabandhu is arrested at 1:30 am on 26 March; the operation is named Big Bird.
- 4
Yahya left Dhaka on 25 March; Bhutto left the next day.
- 5
25 March is National Genocide Day; the parliamentary resolution was passed on 11 March 2017.