Makalkandi massacre 1971 [ Makalkandi, Bangladesh]

[REPORTED AS SEEN]

On 18 August, very early in the morning, a contingent of the Pakistani army led by Major Durrani proceeded towards Makalkandi in boats. He was accompanied by police officer Zainal Abedin and local Syed Fazlul Haque. At around 9 a.m. they reached the village of Makalkandi. It was the day of Vishahari Puja. The villagers were making arrangements for the puja. In the century-old Chandi Mandap in the western part of the village, the devotees were washing and polishing the brass images. Young children were collecting flowers for worship. Suddenly, the Pakistani soldiers opened fire from the boats. The villagers ran wherever they could. Many of them dived into the Suta river. The Pakistani army alighted from the boats and went towards the Chandi mandapa. They caught hold of twelve villagers and made them stand in a line in front from the Chandi Mandap Eleven were shot to death, while the twelfth Kangsa Mohan Das survived the massacre with four bullet wounds. Subsequently, the Pakistani army combed the entire village and shot dead scores of people. The bodies were disposed of in the Suta river. Around 40 persons managed to escape with injuries. Though they succeeded in reaching India , the majority of them succumbed to their injuries. Women were raped and the entire village was looted by the Razakars. The entire village was doused with petrol and set on fire.