The Shankharibazar massacre () was a massacre of over 212

Bengali Hindus Bengali Hindus () are adherents of Hinduism who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. They make up the majority in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Assam's Barak Valle ...

in the Shankharibazar area of

Old Dhaka Old Dhaka () is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar (), the capital of Bengal Subah, Mughal Province of Bengal and named after the Mughal em ...

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

on 26 March 1971 by the Pakistani occupation army. The survivors fled to the villages on the other side of the Buriganga, in the region now known as Keraniganj. Shankharibazar became deserted and dead bodies remained on the streets for quite a long time. The Pakistani establishment renamed the Shankharibazar Road to Tikka Khan Road.

Events

On the evening of 25 March, the Pakistani army took to the streets. They proceeded towards Sadar Ghat along the

Nawabpur Road Nawabpur Road is a road in Old Dhaka City, Bangladesh, and is associated with the Shankhari and Gulistan bazaars. It is a busy road often jammed with rickshaws, human-drawn carts, and foot traffic.Book, Development Fieldwork, a practical guide. ...

. At the crossing of Shankharibazar Road, they shelled a house, as a result of which a portion of the house got destroyed. Three people died in the shelling and five to six people were injured. On the afternoon of 26 March, the Pakistani army attacked Shankharibazar. They entered premises no. 47 and killed the father and younger brother of the family. The elder brother Amar Sur, who survived the massacre fled through the narrow lane in the rear of the house. The military men ordered the residents to come out of their houses. When they came out they were shot to death. The Pakistani army continued their killing spree in the premises of the locality and killed around 50 Hindus. More than 200 Hindus were injured in the assault. The houses were set on fire. According to eyewitness accounts, 31 Hindus were killed in the residence of Chandan Sur alone. Chandan Sur was one of the established and influential men in the area. Before the elections, Khwaja Khairuddin of the Dhaka Nawab family had unsuccessfully tried to coerce Sur on his side. Khairuddin was contesting the elections against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It has been alleged that during the massacre, Khwaja Khairuddin led the Pakistani military to the residence of Chandan Sur. According to Kalidas Baidya, 126 Hindus from the neighbourhood were rounded up in one house and shot to death.

Memorial

In 1972, a memorial was erected on the eastern end of the Shankharibazar Road in memory of the victims of the Shankharibazar massacre. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman promised the family of the victims a compensation sum of 2,000 Taka. However, the victims' families have reportedly not received any compensation to date. In 1997, on the occasion silver jubilee of Liberation of Bangladesh, the Shankharibazar published a souvenir where the names of the massacre victims were published.

References

{{1971 Bangladesh genocide, state=expanded Dhaka in the Bangladesh Liberation War Massacres in 1971 1971 Bangladesh genocide Old Dhaka Murder in Dhaka 1971 mass shootings in Asia Spree shootings in Bangladesh Massacres of Bengali Hindus in East Pakistan Massacres committed by Pakistan in East Pakistan March 1971 in Bangladesh 1971 building bombings Building bombings in Bangladesh Residential building arson attacks in Bangladesh Arson in 1971 1970s fires in Asia Looting in Bangladesh Residential building bombings in Asia Explosions in Dhaka Building and structure fires in Dhaka Arson in Dhaka