Nikli massacre

Nikli massacre was a premediated massacre of Bengali Hindus in the Dampara Union of Nikli Upazila of Kishoreganj District, Dhaka Division, on 21 September 1971 by the Pakistan Army in collaboration with the Razakars during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[1][2][3][4] According to sources, 35 Bengali Hindus were killed by the Pakistani Occupation Forces and the Razakars.[3][4][5][6]

Nikli massacre
Part of 1971 Bangladesh genocide
Nikli
Native name	নিকলী / নিকলি গণহত্যা
Location	Nikli Upazila, Kishoreganj District, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh
Coordinates	24°19′N 90°56′E
Date	21 September 1971
Target	Bengali Hindus
Attack type	Burst fire, Mass murder
Weapons	Machine gun, Bayonets
Deaths	35
Perpetrators	Pakistan Army, Razakar (Pakistan)

Background

Hindus of the Sutradhar community live in the Mistri Para locality of Dampara Union, in Nikli Upazila of Kishoreganj District. Historically, they were carpenters, hence the name "Mistri Para".[2][3][4]

Events

Soldiers of the Pakistan Army, accompanied with the Razakars, arrived at Mistri Para of Dampara Union on 21st September. Then the soldiers and razakars called out all the Hindus, saying that ID cards will be issued to them. With that, they took 39 of the Hindus of Mistri Para in boats to Nikli Thana (Nikli police station).[2][3][4][5]

After reaching the police station, four of them were kept inside lockup for being too young. The rest were tied behind their backs and tortured till evening, after which they were taken to the cremation grounds near Showaijoni river in Nikli. The captives were made to stand in line and gunned down with machine gunfire. On being confirmed dead, the razakars carried the dead bodies with fishhooks to the Dhulachar Haor in Nikli, and then dumped them in the water. The next morning they released the four boys who were held in lockup.[2][3][4][5]

After the killings, the widowed women of Mistri Para were raped by the Pakistani soldiers and Razakars.[2][3][4][5]

Aftermath

In 2015, a commemoration ceremony was organized for the first time on 21 September for the martyrs.[1] A small memorial has been made for the martyrs by the locals, which is decorated on September 21 every year.[5][7][8] The government has neither given recognition nor financial support to the families of the victims.[2]

References

1. প্রতিবেদক, নিজস্ব. "নিকলীতে এই প্রথমবার গণহত্যা দিবস পালিত". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
2. "আজ নিকলী গণহত্যা দিবস". আমাদের নিকলী. 2016-09-20. Archived from the original on 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
3. "Nikli Massacre 1971". Stories of Bengali Hindus. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
4. "Dampara, a village of Nikli Upazilla of Kishoreganj. The Sutradhar community of Hindu religion lives". www.1971archive.org. Archived from the original on 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
5. "৩৪ জন হিন্দুকে হত্যা করা হয়". Eibela. 2016-09-27. Archived from the original on 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
6. "নিকলী গণহত্যায় ৩৫ ব্যক্তি শহীদ হন". kishoreganjnews.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
7. "নিকলী শ্মশানঘাট গণহত্যা দিবস আজ". The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). Retrieved 2020-12-04.
8. "নিকলী গণহত্যা দিবস আজ | Jugantor". Jugantor (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2020-12-04.