Perpetrators

The Pakistani military junta leadership, the civilian ministers appointed by them, the bureaucrats, the armed forces, the administration and the collaborators of the regime including the Islamist political parties and groups were the perpetrators of the genocide. 

The major institutions and organizations that perpetrated the genocide are listed below. For the individual figures, browse the list of main perpetrators.

The Govt. of Pakistan led by President Ayub Khan and followed by President Yahya Khan between 1958 and 1971 promulgated laws and implemented policies that led to the political marginalization, economic destruction, physical annihilation and forced outmigration of the Bengali Hindu population from the territory of East Pakistan.

In the first phase of the genocide (1958-65), Governors Azam Khan and Monem Khan were directly involved in orchestration of the massacres in Rajshahi (1962) and Khulna (1964). In the second phase (1965-69), the Govt. of East Pakistan laid down specific rules for the confiscation of Bengali Hindu owned properties and leasing them out, based on the enemy property law promulgated by the Govt. of Pakistan. 

The East Pakistan Rifles, under the Eastern Command of the Pakistan Army were directly involved in the Gopalganj massacre (1961). 

The East Pakistan Ansars, a paramilitary volunteer force, was a dreaded group who were frequently involved in loot and torture of Bengali Hindu refugees and migrants fleeing East Pakistan.

The East Pakistan Police was instrumental in the torture of arrested and imprisoned Bengali Hindu leaders in the first two phases of the genocide.

The Mujahid Force, raised in 1968 as a paramilitary force, were mostly drawn from the Bihari population in East Pakistan. In the final phase of the genocide, the Mujahid Force also known as Al Mujahid was actively involved in the massacres of the Bengali Hindus.

The implementation of the final phase (1971) of the genocide led by the Pakistan Army. The various regiments and battalions under the Eastern Command carried out the massacre of the Bengali Hindu population with precision. They were assisted by the Peace Committee in preparation and identification of the targets and by the Razakar Force in the killings of the targets and destruction of their properties.

The Peace Committee, formed in April 1971, pledged full support to the Pakistan Army’s Operation Searchlight aimed at extermination of the Bengali Hindu population. Till the fall of the genocidal regime in December 1971 it actively assisted the Pakistan Army’s genocidal campaign by preparing list of targets, identifying the targets and co-ordinating between the Pakistan Army and the various paramilitary forces involved in the genocide e.g. Razakar Force, Al Badar Force etc.

The Razakar Force, unofficially formed in May 1971 and formally recognized in August, was the main paramilitary force that actively participated with the Pakistan Army in the massacre of the Bengali Hindu population. The force received formal training, uniform, equipment and salary. The Razakar Force was vested with similar powers as the Pakistan Army.

The Al Badar Force, unofficially formed in May, 1971 and formally acknowledged in September was raised from the students wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. The stated objective of the force was the elimination of the infidel Bengali Hindus. The force was involved in a few massacres.