Ramna massacre

Ramna massacre (Bengali: রমনা হত্যাকান্ড) was the massacre of the Hindus who lived in the region around the Ramna Kali temple 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 হত্যাকান্ড
LocationRamna, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Date27 March 1971 (UTC+6:00)
TargetBengali Hindus
Attack type
mass murder, massacre
Deaths250
PerpetratorsPakistani Army

Background

The 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.

Events

Dr. 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
Memorial of the victims

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
  1. Thakur, Rajen (21 September 2009). "Bangladesh: The Demolition Of Ramana Kali Temple In March 1971". Asian Tribune. World Institute for Asian Studies. 11 (289). Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  2. Trivedi, Rabindranath (28 May 2007). "April 1971: 'Recalling Massacres of Those Days in Faridpur'". Asian Tribune. World Institute for Asian Studies. 11 (288). Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  3. বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের দলিলপত্র [Bangladesh War of Independence Documents] (in Bengali). 13. Dhaka: Hakkani Publishers. November 1982. p. 292. ISBN 9844330912. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  4. মুক্তিযুদ্ধে হিন্দুদের সবচেয়ে বেশি ক্ষতি হয়েছে: তারানা হালিম. Bangladesh News 24x7.com (in Bengali). Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  5. রমনা কালী মন্দিরের নিরাপত্তা দেওয়ার আবেদন. banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 5 March 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  6. চিহ্নিত যুদ্ধাপরাধীদের বিচার চলতি বছরের মধ্যে সম্পন্ন করা হবে ॥ আইন প্রতিমন্ত্রী. The Daily Janakantha (in Bengali). March 28, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2012.

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