Critical

Bangladesh Liberation War

War and humanitarian catastrophe that led to the creation of Bangladesh after Indian intervention.

Timeline
1971
Duration
1 year
Region
South Asia
Record
Static archive

Historical overview

Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.

The Bangladesh Liberation War, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which resulted in the independence of Bangladesh with the help of India. The war began when the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan—under the orders of Yahya Khan—launched Operation Searchlight against East Pakistanis on the night of 25 March 1971, initiating the Bangladesh genocide.

Theater countries

BangladeshIndiaPakistan

Actors

Bangladeshi independence forcesPakistanIndia

Tags

state-formationinterstate-wargenocide

Border context

1963-1979historical border era

Decolonization and proxy wars

Postcolonial borders, Cold War interventions and regional wars define much of Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Portuguese Africa moves toward independence. The 1967 war changes control of Sinai, Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights.

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