The massacre at Chuknagar: A forgotten chapter of the liberation war history
Chuknagar used to be a safe haven for Bangali refugees from south-western Bangladesh, at least until 20 May 1971, when the Pak military massacred roughly ten thousand refugees trying to flee the conflict
Chuknagar is a small village bazar in Dumuria upazila of Khulna. The horrific massacre of 20 May 1971, carried out by Pakistani army and their local Bangali and Bihari collaborators and a part of their well orchestrated genocide, was almost forgotten until recent past.
Only a handful of Bangladeshi patriots led by Professor Shafiqul Islam were trying their best to keep the flag of remembrance of the victims and paying respect to their departed souls using their meagre means.
For a few years now, the torch has been burning brighter. Their voices are finally being heard. More and more people have started to learn about one of the most heinous massacres of innumerable human lives.
The Bangladesh Genocide of 1971 by Pakistanis is the biggest genocide after the Holocaust. The loss of estimated three million people's lives, chastity and honour of between 2,00,000 to 4,00,000 women and girls, looting and plundering of the homes and businesses of innocent Bangali citizens, displacement of nearly 10 million refugees, force religious conversions and many other countless heinous acts can be attributed to the Pakistani marauders and their collaborators.
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Their targets were Awami league activists, supporters, sympathisers of Bangladeshi nationalism, and the Hindu minorities of the country. The Pakistanis considered Bangali progressive and patriotic muslims as Indian supporters influenced by Hindu culture and as such, inferior muslims.
This wholesale targetting of special groups based on their ethnicity and political alliance would be enough to classify the actions of the Pak Military as genocide. But due to geopolitical reasons, this clearly evident and sufficiently documented case of genocide was largely overlooked or ignored by the International community.
What happened at Chuknagar?
After the Pak military initiated Operation Searchlight on 25 March 1971 and launched an attack on innocent civilians in Dhaka, Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of 26 March.
Newly proclaimed Bangladesh got engaged in a War of Liberation. Over the span of the liberation war, the Pak army continued to commit heinous, genocidal acts of violence in collaboration with their local collaborators.
Chuknagar was a remote village in those days. But in those trying days, it became an important transit point of a refugee trail to India. It was close to the Indian border on the bank of Bhadra river. People from the south-western part of occupied Bangladesh (Khulna, Bagerhat, Jessore, Barisal, Faridpur districts) found out an escape route to refugee camps in India via Chuknagar. They came by boats, on foot and indigenous vehicles like bullock carts and after taking some rest and food in the vicinity of Chuknagar, proceeded further.
It was an endless stream of destitute souls trying to escape the Pakistani genocide. The night of 19 May was no different from the previous nights. From 19th evening till the 20th morning an estimated number of 10 to 12 thousand men,women and children had taken refuge in schools, temples, mosques and in the houses of villagers in and around Chuknagar.
Those who could not, spent the night and morning in the open paddy fields and whatever free space was available around. Some were taking a nap while others prepared a simple meal of boiled rice and veggies before taking to the road to safety. The last lap was ahead. Unfortunately, they were not as lucky as the ones who left the previous morning.
By about 10 o'clock in the morning, three truckloads of Pakistani soldiers and some of their Bihari and Bangali collaborators appeared at Chuknagar bazar. There were about 30 soldiers in the group armed with light machine guns and automatic rifles. Most of their associate local collaborators had their faces covered so that they could not be identified easily. The marauders went into action immediately.
They started firing in all directions towards the refugees scattered all around and getting ready to proceed further towards the Indian border. The first victim was reportedly a local farmer Chikan Ali Morol, who tried to protest against the firing at the innocent crowd.
A volley of bullets pierced his body and silenced his protest. The soldiers did not face any further impediment. Their killing spree went unabated. The refuge seekers were attacked with automatic firearms and they fell dead and fatally injured wherever they were.
After the killings were over, dead bodies were seen in the open paddy fields,in the front/back yards of local villagers, in the premises of school, mosques, temples and on the boats in Bhadra river.
The soldiers chased the younger and stronger males trying to flee running and shot them from the back. The boatloads of people that tried to escape the firing by rowing away could not go far before being traced and fired at.
Some tried to swim to safety but could not escape the snipers. Many injured persons bled and succumbed to their injuries. The carnage continued for about five hours and an estimated 10 to 12 thousand poor refugees were reported to have been killed in Chuknagar on that ill-fated day.
No genocide has ever been recorded in history that had the toll of such a high numbers in so short a time. The barbarism with which the Pak genociders executed Chuknagar mass killing is impossible to express in words.
The water of Bhadra river turned red with human blood. Corpses were lying everywhere around and also floated in the river. The butchers left in late afternoon and then the local people came out to render whatever help they could. But there was not much scope to save lives as almost everyone had already been killed.
In the next couple of days the locals had to dispose of the corpses. Some were buried in mass graves while others were dumped in the river. The Chuknagar refugee trail was mostly followed by the poorer section of south western Bangladesh.
The near and dear ones of the victims either were dead or did not have the means to come back to Chuknagar after seven months of the incident, when Bangladesh was free of the occupation army. A part of them may have stayed back in India as they were feeling helpless after the shock and trauma that they have suffered.
Bringing Chuknagar back from oblivion
Slowly, with time, this tragic massacre went into oblivion. A few local organisations and sensible individuals kept the memory of the mass killing alive. Professor Shafiqul Islam led that group and they had been trying to draw the attention of the Bangladesh government and fellow countrymen to the massacre.
The world has not known about the 1971 genocide let alone the massacre at Chuknagar. The above genocidal actions are well-documented in the newspapers and periodicals around the world, in Blood Telegrams, in Senator Kennedy's report to US lawmakers, in the Testimony of Sixty published by Oxfam in October 1971 and in the report of an inquiry made by International Union of Jurists,among others. Regardless, the genocide was largely overlooked by the international community.
Research and documentation on the Chuknagar mass killing has started and is ongoing on a limited scale. It may be inferred and hoped that the history of Chuknagar massacre will be properly highlighted,the victims will be remembered with due honour and recognised as Martyrs and perpetrators, still alive,will be brought to justice.
Progress on getting recognition
On the overall International Recognition of 1971 Bangladesh Genocide front, considerable progress is being made. In 2017 Bangladesh has declared 25 March as Bangladesh National Genocide Remembrance Day. The Government of Bangladesh has been trying to achieve the International recognition of the Genocide through its diplomatic channels.
Civil society organisations of the country and Bangladeshi Diaspora organisations are augmenting the efforts. Individuals,studying and working on the 1971 Genocide are also active in spreading the history of the Genocide to the present young generation of Bangladesh and the world. Over half a century has elapsed and the present generation of the world are largely unaware of the Genocide.
The joint efforts have started paying dividends. Four prestigious International organisations working on prevention of Genocide have already issued statements acknowledging the fact that Pakistan army and their associates have indeed committed Genocide in Bangladesh during 1971 War of Independence.
The organisations are Lemkin Institute of Genocide Prevention, Genocide Watch, International Coalition of Sites of Conscience and International Association of Genocide Scholars. A bipartisan bill to Recognise 1971 Bangladesh Genocide has been tabled in US Congress. UNHRC is being moved to recognise the Genocide. Efforts are underway to bring in bills in the Parliaments of other friendly countries.
In continuation of the efforts, EBF (European Bangladesh Forum), a Bangladeshi diaspora organisation based in Europe has organised a fact finding mission of a five member delegation to Bangladesh from 20th to 26th May 2023. The delegates are parliamentarians, journalists, academicians and social workers.
The mission is supported locally by Aamra Ekattor, a platform of progressive patriotic Bangladeshis upholding the ideals of Muktijuddho. Projonmo 71, an organisation of children of Martyrs of the 1971 War of Liberation, is another organisation supporting the visit of the delegation.
The members of the delegation will visit killing fields, interview victim families, visit Liberation War museum, exchange views with civil society and activists of the Recognition issue. They will meet genocide scholars and researchers and Bangladesh Government representatives. They will participate in International Symposiums and Press meets during their week-long visit.
They will disseminate the information and knowledge gathered in Europe to build public opinion in favour of Recognition of 1971 Genocide.
The author is a Masters in Engineering. He writes regularly in Bangladeshi, Indian, Sri Lankan and British newspapers on history, heritage, travelling, rights and environmental issues. He takes special interest in issues related to the anti-British colonial movements, the Liberation War of Bangladesh and the 1971 genocide
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
