Pakistan Army lined up Hindus, tied their arms, rained bullets and set them ablaze

They introduced them to the varsity floor, lined them up, tied their arms and began raining bullets on them indiscriminately. They did not cease at that. The barbarians poured kerosene on the dying males and set them on hearth. If anybody moved even barely, they shot him once more and stabbed him with the bayonet.

It was May 26, 1971 when the Pakistan Army gunned down as many as 94 Hindus at Burunga High School within the nondescript and quiet Burunga village in Burunga Union of Balaganj upazilla of Sylhet district in Bangladesh.

It all began when fears turned pronounced that Pakistani forces may goal the place any time, triggering panic all throughout the village. This was within the third week of May 1971, as Bangladesh’s battle of Independence was raging.

Terrified Burunga villagers met Burunga Union Chairman Injad Ali. On May 25 afternoon, Injad Ali and Cheif of the Union Peace Committee Soyef Uddin Master made an announcement in Burunga and close by villages {that a} Peace Committee can be shaped in Burunga High School the following day (May 26). They stated Peace Committee id playing cards can be distributed to the villagers.

Everyone was given the reassurance that the Pakistani forces wouldn’t harass or torture those that have the id card of the Peace Committee and the villagers would have the ability to transfer freely. Believing the assurances of Razakar and members of the Peace Committee, the villagers — each Hindus and Muslims — attended the committee assembly at Burunga High School on May 26 morning.

More than 1,000 individuals gathered on the college round 8 am. The Peace Committee began making an inventory of the villagers. Around 9 am, a big group of Pakistani forces arrived on the college floor, accompanied by Abdul Ahad Chowdhury, the commander of Razakar of Karansi village, and Abdul Khalek, a village physician. The Pakistan Armymen took the checklist from the members of the native Peace Committee. A gaggle of Pakistani forces checked each home within the village and compelled the remaining males, who didn’t come to the Peace Committee assembly, to return to the bottom in entrance of the varsity.

It was 9am. Thousands of individuals have been current on the college, with concern nonetheless writ on their faces. In the meantime, the native Razakars, Pakistan Army and members of the Peace Committee separated the Hindus and Muslims by checking the checklist.

Hindus have been taken to the workplace room of the varsity, whereas Muslims to a classroom. Both the Hindu and Muslim teams have been taught the Kalima and requested to sing Pakistan’s nationwide anthem. Around 9.30am, an invading military, with Abdul Ahad Chowdhury, ordered everybody to deposit all the cash that they had in addition to gold jewelry. After extorting cash and gold from everybody, a lot of the Muslims have been launched.

The Pakistan armymen requested 10-12 of the Muslims to convey nylon rope from the native market. After they introduced the ropes, the Hindus have been requested to knot them collectively tightly. Some Hindus within the room began screaming.

Pritiranjan Chowdhury, a trainer of the varsity, who survived the bloodbath, stated, “Even though I was supposed to go to the school around 8 am on May 26, I got a little late. When I reached there, I saw all the Hindus were locked in an office room. Seeing me, they caught me and took me to the office room. A window in the room was a little broken. I thought that if I had to survive, I would have to escape from the clutches of these men. So, I somehow opened the window and jumped out of it. Ranu Malakar and some others also managed to escape after me.”

Those who couldn’t have been lined up within the college floor after their arms have been tied by the invading troopers. Then they began firing.

Shri Nivas Chakraborty, one other survivor who was shot twice within the Burunga bloodbath, stated, “Machinegun bullets were fired at the helpless people with their hands tied at the back. There was blood everywhere. But it did not end there. To ensure everyone was dead, they set them on fire. As soon as a gunshot hit my left hand, I feigned that I was dead and lay still on the ground.”

“When the armymen left after the firing, some wounded males stood up. Seeing this, the Pakistani forces got here again and began firing once more. I acquired shot within the again as properly. Luckily, the bullet grazed my pores and skin. I survived. After a while, I heard the voices of native individuals. Some of them got here operating. At that point, I seen that among the wounded have been crying for water. Seeing water in a bucket within the college yard, my aged father Nikunj Bihari Chakraborty, who was himself injured, and some others mustered braveness and helped the wounded drink water. I misplaced my father and brother Nittaranjan Chakraborty within the bloodbath,” he added.

After unleashing violence, the Pakistani forces and the Razakars requested Sylhet courtroom lawyer Ram Ranjan Bhattacharya to go away. As quickly because the sick Ram Ranjan stood up from his chair, the marauders shot him lifeless. Later, the Razakars, led by Ahad Chowdhury and village physician Abdul Khalek, ransacked and looted all the village, whereas setting hearth to all the homes there…

Credits

Reporter: Sahidul Hasan Khokon

Edited by: Tirtho Banerjee

Interactive Producer: Raka Mukherjee

Interactive Developer: Vishal Rathour

Photo Researcher: Raman Pruthi

Cover Illustration: Vani Gupta