US Politician Calls 1971 Pakistan Atrocities Against Bengali Hindus Genocide

US Congressman Greg Landsman, a Democrat from Ohio, has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for official recognition of the Pakistani Army's atrocities against Bengali Hindus during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War as "war crimes and genocide."

The resolution, tabled on Friday, March 20, 2026, and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, details the March 25, 1971, launch of "Operation Searchlight," where Pakistan's military, alongside Jamaat-e-Islami allies, targeted civilians across then-East Pakistan. It highlights systematic attacks on Bengali Hindus through mass slaughter, gang rape, forced conversions, and expulsions, while also noting indiscriminate killings of Bengalis regardless of religion.

Landsman cites a March 28, 1971, telegram from US Consul General Archer Blood in Dhaka, titled "Selective Genocide," which reported non-Bengali Muslims, backed by Pakistani forces, murdering Bengalis and Hindus in poor quarters. The document urges the US President to condemn these acts as crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide, while clarifying that no entire ethnic or religious group bears collective blame.

The push revives global attention to the 1971 conflict, which killed up to three million people and displaced 10 million, mostly Hindus who fled to India. Bangladesh commemorates March 25 as Genocide Day, with its tribunal convicting Jamaat leaders for war crimes, though Pakistan denies genocide claims. This follows similar past US efforts, including resolutions by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and others advocating recognition.

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The resolution condemns the broader crackdown that imprisoned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and killed intellectuals, professionals, and students, forcing tens of thousands of women into sexual slavery. It aligns with ongoing calls from Bangladeshi Americans and Hindu advocacy groups for historical accountability amid persistent religious minority vulnerabilities in the region.

As the measure awaits committee review, it signals bipartisan potential under President Donald Trump's administration to address unresolved 1971 legacies, potentially influencing US-South Asia policy. Landsman's initiative underscores a moral imperative to document and denounce targeted atrocities against minorities.

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