The nation is observing the ‘Genocide Day’ on Monday in a sombre mood, commemorating the brutalities and cowardly attacks carried out by the Pakistani occupation forces on the unarmed Bangalees on the black night of March 25 in 1971.

On the black night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings in Dhaka to implement their blueprint to thwart the Awami League’s assumption of office following the election mandate of 1970, reports the UNB.

In the attack dubbed ‘Operation Searchlight’, the Pakistani forces mercilessly killed the Bangalee members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and common people.

They killed people indiscriminately, set fire to houses and property, and looted business establishments, leaving a trail of destruction.

The day will be observed officially for the third time in the country as Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017 to observe March 25 as the Genocide Day.

Different political parties, government and non-government bodies and socio-cultural organisations have taken elaborate programmes to mark the day with due reverence.

A one-minute ‘blackout’ programme will be observed from 9:00pm on the occasion.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion.

In his message, the President described the March-25 mass killing was one of the most brutal genocides in the history.

He urged all, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed and party affiliation, to take part in the journey of establishing a non-communal and democratic Bangladesh imbued with the Liberation War spirit.

The Prime Minister, in her message, said the Awami League government has been conducting the trial of war criminals. ‘The verdicts of the trial are being executed. The trial of the war criminals will continue. We’ve taken all-out initiatives to achieve international recognition of genocide of 1971 in Bangladesh.’