Genocide at Rangpur City in the Liberation War of Bangladesh, 1971: Fire, Fury and Fragrance

Abstract

During the liberation of 1971, the city of Rangpur received a monstrous genocide having nearly 20,000 houses demolished and approximately 50,000 people killed. Indeed, the genocide commenced at Rangpur from 3rd March, 1971, resulting the martyrdom of Shanku Shamajhdar, presumed to be the first martyr of the liberation movement, and his comrades. After that, people's revengeful attack on armies on 17th March, Santal leader Bundo Odaon's joining with the Bengalis, their joint attack on Rangpur Cantonment, their retreat and finally, there occurred the outrageous spread out of genocide at Rangpur causing unnumbered mass execution fields. The earlier researches already identified 35-40 execution fields at Rangpur. As per the present research, the number of the execution fields is 51 with possibility of more to be identified. This work attempts to find the shape of the genocide at Rangpur, explore the unfound execution fields, and describe past and present position of the related affairs.