Ramna massacre (Bengali: রমনা গণহত্যা) was the massacre of Bengali Hindus who lived in the region around the Ramna Kali Temple in East Pakistan by the Pakistani army on the night of 27 March, 1971.[1][2] It is estimated that around 250 Hindus were killed in the massacre.
| Ramna massacre রমনা গণহত্যা | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Location | Ramna, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Date | 27 March 1971 (UTC+6:00) |
| Target | Bengali Hindus |
Attack type | mass murder, massacre |
| Deaths | 250 |
| Perpetrators | Pakistani Army |
Background
editThe village around the Ramna Kali temple was an ancient Hindu settlement at the centre of the Dhaka Race Course. It was inhabited by around 250 Hindu men, women and children.[3] Even in the most deadliest of Hindu-Muslim riots in Dhaka, the village has remained unaffected.[citation needed]
Events
editDr. John E. Rohde of USAID, who visited the place on 29 March, witnessed charred corpses of men, women and children who had been killed by machine guns and then set on fire.[2] The Pakistani army doused the temple with petrol and gunpowder and set it on fire, along with around 50 cows. 101 Hindus including the priest of the Ramna Kali temple were killed.[4]
Memorial
edit
A memorial in front of the makeshift temple lists the names of 69 persons killed in the massacre.[5] On 27 March 2011, a memorial service was held in the compound of the Ramna Kali temple in honour of the victims of the Ramna massacre.[6]
References
edit- ^ Thakur, Rajen (21 September 2009). "Bangladesh: The Demolition Of Ramana Kali Temple In March 1971". Asian Tribune. 11 (289). World Institute for Asian Studies. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- ^ a b Trivedi, Rabindranath (28 May 2007). "April 1971: 'Recalling Massacres of Those Days in Faridpur'". Asian Tribune. 11 (288). World Institute for Asian Studies. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের দলিলপত্র [Bangladesh War of Independence Documents] (in Bengali). Vol. 13. Dhaka: Hakkani Publishers. November 1982. p. 292. ISBN 9844330912. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
- ^ মুক্তিযুদ্ধে হিন্দুদের সবচেয়ে বেশি ক্ষতি হয়েছে: তারানা হালিম. Bangladesh News 24x7.com (in Bengali). Retrieved May 12, 2012.
- ^ রমনা কালী মন্দিরের নিরাপত্তা দেওয়ার আবেদন. banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ চিহ্নিত যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার চলতি বছরের মধ্যে সম্পন্ন করা হবে ॥ আইন প্রতিমন্ত্রী. The Daily Janakantha (in Bengali). March 28, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2012.[permanent dead link]