Bangladesh to observe 'one-minute blackout' to mark 'Genocide Day' on March 25

Bangladesh will observe a "one-minute blackout" on March 25 to mark 'Genocide Day', in memory of the three million people killed by Pakistani forces during the 1971 Liberation War.

Bangladesh will observe a "one-minute blackout" on March 25 to mark 'Genocide Day', in memory of the three million people killed by Pakist forces during the 1971 Liberation War.

The 'blackout' would be observed for one minute from 9:00 pm to 9:01 pm across the country, the Dhaka Tribune reported citing an official statement.

The daily reported that no lighting will be allowed at all the government, semi-government, autonomous orgsations, and private buildings and installations on the night of March 25.

According to the official, key point installations (KPIs) and emergency installations will be exempted from the blackout program, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Recently the Paris-based think tank The Center of Political and Foreign Affairs brought out a report titled 'East Pakistan Genocide: Still Yearns for Global Acknowledgement' in which the author Mario de Gasperi explained that the Bangladesh genocide is considered to be the largest and longest since it covers the entire length of the nine-month-long liberation war of Bangladesh.

"Ironically the Bangladesh genocide remains unrecognised while other genocides in Europe and Africa have been acknowledged," Gasperi wrote.

On March 25, 50 years back Pakistan Army launched 'Operation Searchlight' resulting in the worst genocide in human history over a period of nine months till the Army was defeated, Gasperi wrote.

Gasperi further said, "The Liberation War in erstwhile East Pakistan marked by the horrific genocide committed by the Pakist Army and razakars, or collaborators, is not acknowledged widely even to this date."

Bangladesh started observing March 25 as 'Genocide Day' in 2017.

( With inputs from ANI )