The nation observed March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’ for the first time, marking the brutality carried out by the Pakistani Army on unarmed Bengalees on this black night in 1971. The government, political parties, cultural organisations and other social groups organised different programmes, including discussion meetings and cultural functions, to observe the day.
On March 11, the Bangladesh Parliament decided to observe March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’. The Cabinet Division, at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, unanimously endorsed the decision on March 20. From now on, the nation will be observing March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’.
As part of the programmes, a two-day photography exhibition began near the Independence Monument, at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, remembering Pakistani Army atrocities committed on March 25, 1971.
In separate messages, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh will observe the day as a strong protest against Pakistani atrocities.
The President said ‘Genocide Day’ is not only a recognition of the sacrifices of 30 lakh Bengalees in the freedom struggle of Bangladesh, but also a symbol of strong protest against the genocide.
The Prime Minister said Pakistani occupation forces swooped down on unarmed Bengalees on the night of March 25. They, along with their local collaborators, including Razakars, al Badr and al Shams, carried out atrocities.
Observing the day, the Awami League held a series of meetings, where the party's senior leaders harshly criticised the BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, for raising questions about the number of martyrs in the country's Liberation War.
At her first public address in 2015, the BNP chief had said: “There is controversy over how many were martyred in the Liberation War. There are also many books and documents on the controversy.”
Official figures of the war death toll show 30 lakh (three million). Some 2.5 lakh (a quarter million) women were raped by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators. About 10 million people fled the country and took shelter in India, while millions more were internally displaced.  
The AL-led 14-Party Alliance organised a rally at the Mirpur Killing Ground (Boddho Bhumi), where its coordinator and AL presidium member, Mohammad Nasim, said BNP leaders have been distorting the history of the Liberation War by making indiscriminate statements at different programmes.
“We should tell our young generation the actual history of the Liberation War, who had made the declaration of Independence and how the Pakistani army killed tens of thousands of people in 1971,” he said.
Marking the day, Swadhinata Chikitshok Programme organised a discussion at the Dhaka Medical College auditorium. Speaking as the chief guest, AL joint general secretary, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, blasted BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for raising questions about the actual number of martyrs in the Liberation War.
“This is unfortunate. The chief of a major political party, Khaleda Zia, questions the actual number of martyrs, though the Pakistani army committed atrocities from March to December in 1971,” he said.