Bangladesh is observing Genocide Day today, marking the beginning of the 1971 mass killings, even as historians and researchers warn that many mass graves and killing fields across the country remain neglected, unprotected and at risk of disappearing.
The day commemorates the brutal crackdown launched by the Pakistani military on the night of March 25, 1971, when troops carried out coordinated attacks in Dhaka to suppress the Awami League’s democratic mandate following its victory in the 1970 general election.
That night marked the start of a systematic campaign of violence that continued throughout the nine-month Liberation War.
During the conflict, Pakistani forces -- along with local collaborators including al-Badr, al-Shams and razakars -- carried out widespread killings across the country.
Hundreds of sites identified, many still unknown
Officials at the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs say 204 mass killing fields and mass grave sites have been officially identified so far.
However, war researchers and private organizations estimate that the actual number is far higher, between 1,000 and 5,000 sites nationwide.
In Dhaka, only a limited number of locations have been formally preserved as historical landmarks.
These include Rayerbazar Boddhobhumi, the Mirpur Intellectuals’ Graveyard, Jallad Khana Killing Field, Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University and Rajarbagh Police Lines.
Many other sites where atrocities occurred remain unmarked and largely forgotten.
Among these are areas such as Shiyalbari, Government Bangla College in Mirpur, Harirampur and Muslim Bazar in Mirpur, the Government Physical Education College area, Mohammadpur Thana Uttar Simanta and Adabar.
Urbanization erasing history
Researchers say rapid urban development has already erased or altered several historic killing fields.
In Thataribazar, a fish market now stands on a former killing ground, while in Loharpul in Sutrapur, a road has been built across another such site.
Due to the absence of proper documentation and preservation, many residents living in these areas are unaware of their historical significance, historians say.
According to the War Crimes Facts Finding Committee, Bangladesh, around 5,000 mass graves may exist across the country.
So far, researchers have identified more than 1,000 sites, but many remain untraceable.
Experts note that a large number of killings took place near rivers, canals and wetlands, meaning many graves have been lost over time due to erosion, flooding or natural changes in the landscape.
As a result, identifying victims and locating burial sites remains a major challenge even more than five decades after independence.
Calls for urgent preservation
Historians, researchers and activists are calling for urgent government action to identify, preserve and commemorate the remaining killing fields and mass graves.
They stress the need to install memorial markers and monuments at these locations to ensure public awareness and allow people to pay tribute to the victims.
According to them, preserving these sites is essential not only for honouring those who were killed, but also for helping future generations understand the scale of atrocities committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
As the country observes Genocide Day, the condition of many of these sites serves as a reminder that the work of documenting and preserving the nation’s history remains incomplete.
