The year 1971 witnessed the remarkable bravery of the Indian Army, leading to the birth of a new nation known as Bangladesh. The courageous people of Bangladesh fought the Bangladesh Liberation War with the goal of achieving Swarajya (self-governance). However, the Pakistani army, in its efforts to suppress this movement, resorted to brutal oppression and committed acts of extreme violence. The local Hindu community actively participated in this liberation struggle, which unfortunately resulted in them enduring the atrocities inflicted by the Pakistani army.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War, radical Islamist Pakistani soldiers engaged in targeted killings of Hindus, perpetrating widespread atrocities. Countless women were subjected to looting and rape by the Pakistani army. Hindu massacres were carried out with alarming frequency, one of which was the infamous Burunga massacre. On May 26, 1971, the Pakistani army mercilessly murdered 94 Hindus at Burunga High School. This appalling incident is just one among numerous horrific massacres inflicted upon the Hindu population in Bangladesh.
Burunga village, located in the Balaganj division of the Sylhet district in Bangladesh, was home to a mixed population of both Hindus and Muslims. As the third week of May 1971 approached, the villagers became increasingly apprehensive about the looming threat of an attack by Pakistani soldiers. While the freedom struggle in Bangladesh was gaining momentum, the people of Burunga lived in constant fear, as they anticipated a potential assault from the Pakistani army.
According to Bangladeshi media reports, the concerned residents of Burunga approached Burunga Union Chairman Injad Ali. On the afternoon of May 25, 1971, Injad Ali, along with Soyef Uddin Master, the Chief of the Union Peace Committee, made a public announcement in Burunga and the surrounding villages. They declared the formation of a peace committee at Burunga High School on the following day, May 26. The primary objective of this committee was to issue identity cards to the villagers. Possessing these identity cards would provide a safeguard against any harm from the Pakistani army. Furthermore, it would grant cardholders the freedom to move unrestrictedly within the region.
Upon receiving the assurance from Union Chairman Injad Ali and the peace committee members, both Hindus and Muslims from the village assembled at Burunga High School on the morning of May 26. The purpose of their gathering was to participate in the committee meeting. By 8 am, approximately a thousand individuals had gathered at the school premises. The peace committee commenced the process of compiling a list of the villagers. At around 9 am, the Pakistani army arrived at Burunga High School, accompanied by Abdul Ahad Chaudhary, the commander of the nearby Karansi village Razakar group, and Abdul Khaleque, the village doctor.
The Pakistan Army obtained the list of individuals from the Peace Committee and proceeded to conduct thorough house-to-house searches in the village. Those who had not attended the Peace Committee meeting at the high school were forcibly taken out of their houses and brought to the school grounds. The people’s faces bore clear expressions of fear, as reported. Local Razakars, members of the Pakistan Army, and peace committee representatives segregated the residents into separate groups of Hindus and Muslims based on the provided list.
The Hindus were directed to the school office, while the Muslims were confined to a classroom. They were compelled to recite the Kalma and sing the national anthem of Pakistan. At approximately 9:30, Abdul Ahad Chaudhry, accompanied by a Pakistani soldier, demanded that the people surrender any money and jewellery they possessed. Following this, the majority of Muslims were released. The Pakistani soldiers instructed the Muslim villagers to procure a nylon rope and tightly tie all the Hindus together. Frightened and defenceless, the unarmed Hindus began shouting in response to this order from the Pakistani soldiers.
According to the reports, Preeti Ranjan Chaudhary, a teacher at the school, was also planning to attend the Peace Committee meeting at Burunga High School, but he arrived late. Upon his arrival, Preeti Ranjan Chaudhary discovered that all the Hindus were confined within an office. The Pakistani soldiers spotted him and apprehended Preeti Ranjan Chaudhary, escorting him to the same office. In a desperate bid for saving his life, Preeti Ranjan Chaudhary searched for an opportunity to escape. He noticed a partially broken window in the room and managed to widen the opening. Preeti Ranjan Chaudhary, along with several others, including Ranu Malakar, seized the chance and successfully fled through the broken window.
The individuals who were unable to escape were forcibly assembled on the school grounds under the watch of Pakistani soldiers. Their hands were bound, leaving them defenceless. Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire erupted, resulting in a harrowing pile of corpses. Srinivas Chakraborty, the second survivor of the massacre, vividly recalled the horrifying scene as machine gun rounds were unleashed upon the helpless Hindus from behind. The assailants proceeded to douse them with kerosene and set ablaze ensuring that no Hindu remained alive. Chakraborty recounted being shot in his left hand. Upon sustaining the gunshot wound, he collapsed to the ground and feigned death.
According to Chakraborty’s account, some of the wounded individuals mustered the strength to rise upon witnessing the departure of the Pakistani soldiers. However, their brief respite was abruptly interrupted when the soldiers returned and resumed firing at the injured victims. It was during this chaos that Preeti Ranjan sustained a gunshot wound to his back, yet remarkably managed to survive. Preeti Ranjan, one of the survivors of the massacre, recalls that after some time, cries of anguish and despair began to echo on the grounds.
A number of wounded individuals were desperately in need of water. Preeti Ranjan’s father, Nikunj Bihari, along with others, helped the injured and provided them with water. Tragically, Nikunj Bihari himself sustained injuries during the incident. Additionally, Preeti Ranjan endured the devastating loss of his father and brother, Nita Ranjan Chakraborty, in this horrific massacre.
The Pakistan Army and Razakars asked Ram Ranjan Bhattacharya, a sick lawyer from Sylhet court, to flee in order to save his life. However, as soon as the ailing Ram Ranjan attempted to rise from his chair, he was shot. Led by Abdul Ahad Chaudhary and Dr Abdul Khaleque, the local Razakars proceeded to pillage the entire village and set fire to the houses of Hindus.
Throughout the war for the liberation of Bangladesh, an estimated three million people lost their lives at the hands of Pakistan. This devastating toll included numerous instances of mass massacres. The Burunga massacre of Hindus in 1971 stands out as one such atrocious event that occurred in Bangladesh.
