A resolution has been introduced in the United States Congress seeking formal recognition of the mass killings carried out by the Pakistani military during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War as genocide.
The motion was introduced on Friday in the House of Representatives by Democratic Congressman Greg Landsman of Ohio on Friday.
The measure calls on the U.S. President to officially acknowledge the atrocities committed in 1971 against the Bengali population, particularly targeting religious minorities such as Hindus as “genocide,” “crimes against humanity,” and “war crimes.”
In the proposal, Landsman calls for the Jamaat-e-Islami to be brought to justice for assisting in the atrocities, referring to the party as a “radical Islamic terrorist group”.
It highlights the importance of preserving historical truth for future generations and ensuring that such crimes are never repeated.
The proposal, designated as H.Res. 1130, has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for further review.
The resolution outlines the historical context leading up to the events of 1971. It notes that following the creation of Pakistan in 1947 after the end of British colonial rule, the ruling elite of West Pakistan consistently discriminated against Bengalis, often viewing them as inferior.
It further states that in the 1970 general election, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, secured a majority. However, negotiations over the transfer of power failed. Subsequently, on the night of March 25, the Pakistani military, along with extremist groups inspired by Jamaat-e-Islami, launched a brutal crackdown known as Operation Searchlight.
The proposal draws on a wide range of credible contemporary sources and official documents. Regarding the death toll, it notes that estimates vary widely, but the most reliable figures suggest that between 10,000 and several hundred thousand people were killed during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
On the issue of violence against women, the proposal states that more than 200,000 women were subjected to rape during the war. It adds that, due to stigma and longstanding social taboos, the true scale of sexual violence may never be fully known.
The document also cites the June 13, 1971, issue of The Sunday Times, which carried Anthony Mascarenhas’s influential report titled “Genocide.” The report alleged that Pakistani forces had prepared lists of individuals marked for execution on the night of March 25.
In addition, the proposal references a telegram sent by Archer Blood, the then U.S. Consul General in Dhaka, to Washington. In the message, he described the events as a “selective genocide,” asserting that Hindus and Bengalis were being systematically targeted and killed with the backing of the Pakistani military.
The proposal further underscores that, although killings were carried out across political and social lines by the Pakistani army and its collaborators, the Hindu community was singled out as a primary target. Citing a November 1, 1971, report by Edward Kennedy, it states that a campaign of terror was deliberately directed at Hindus. Their homes and businesses were looted, and in many cases, they were marked with a yellow “H” for identification.
A 1972 legal study by the International Commission of Jurists is also referenced, which found evidence supporting claims of a planned campaign of genocide against the Hindu population.
