bangladesh liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation War was a war of independence  in South Asia during 1971, which resulted in the secession of East Pakistan from the Islamic Republic of pakistan and established the sovereign nation of Bangladesh. The war pitted East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan, and lasted over a duration of nine months. It witnessed large-scale atrocities, the exodus of 10 million refugees and the displacement of 30 million people.
The roots of the conflict dated back to the partition of British India, when eastern bengal became part of the newly formed state of Pakistan. The region was home to more than half the new country's population, but it was geographically and culturally separated from the politically-dominant westem of Pakistan. Due to political exclusion, ethnic and linguistic discrimination, military rule and economic neglect; popular agitation,cultural nationalism and civil disobedience  grew against the Pakistani state.East -West relations reached the tipping point in 1970, when the first democratic election in Pakistan were won by an eastern party led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Pakistani military junta refused to honor election results and convene the newly elected national assembly, which lead to a mass uprising in East Pakistan demanding self-determination..
War broke out on March 26, 1971, when the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight against Bengali civilians, students,intelligentsia and armed personnel. The army arrested Sheikh Mujib and banned all major eastern political parties. Bengali nationalists proclaimed the declaration of bangladesh’s independence. Defecting Bengali military and paramilitary, as well as civilians, formed the Mukti Bahini, which engaged in guerlla warfare against Pakistani forces. The Pakistan Army, in collusion with extremist religious militias formed by the Jamaat-e-Islami  (including the Razakars,Al-badr and al-Shams), engaged in widespread terrorization and massacres of Bengali civilians, particularly religious minorities.Neighbouring India provided economic, military and diplomatic support to Bengali nationalists, and the Bangladesh government-in-exile was set up in Calcutta.
India entered the war on December 3, 1971, after Pakistan launched pre-emptive air strikes on northern India. Overwhelmed by two war fronts, Pakistani defenses soon collapsed. On December 16, the Allied Forces of Bangladesh and India defeated Pakistan in the east. The subsequent surrender. resulted in the largest number of prisoners-of-war since World War II.

Bangladesh Liberation war

Date:   26 March-16 December 1971

(8      months,2weeks and 2days)

Location:

·         East Pakistan(now Bangladesh)

Result

·         Eastern  command of Pakistan Military collapse.

·         Subsequent liberation of Bangladesh

       commanders and leaders                        

Bangladesh and India commands	Pakistan commands
1.General M.A .G Osmani(Ban) 2.Major K.M. shafiullah(Ban) 3.Major Ziaur Rahman(Ban) 4.Major khaled mosharraf(Ban) 5.Lt.Gen.J.S Aurora(Ind) 6.FM Sam Manekshaw(Ind) 7.Lt.Gen.sagat Singh(Ind) 8.Maj.Gen.JFR Jacob(Ind)	1.LGen A.A.K Niazi 2.LGen Tikka khan 3.General Abdul Hamid khan 4.Radm P.N Shariff 5.Air-CDRE Enamul Haque 6.Maj.Gen>Rao Farman ali 7.Maj.Gen.Khadim Hossein Raja 8.Maj.Gen.A.O.Mitha 9.Maj.Gen.md Jamshed 10.Brigg.jahanzeb Arab
Strength
Bangladesh Forces 175,000 India: 250,000	Pakistan Combatant Forces: 365,000 (90,000 in East Pakistan) Para Military: 250,000

                        Casualities and losses

Bangladesh forces:30,000 India:1,426 KIA 3,611 Wounded (Official) 1,525 KIA 4,061 Wounded

Pakistan 8,000 KIA 10,000 KIA 93,000 (56,694 Armed Forces 12,192 Paramilitary rest civilians)

Civilian death toll: Estimated between 300,000 and 3,000,000