1969 Dhaka riots
The 1969 Dhaka riots were a series of disturbances that took place over five days as a consequence of riots between Bengalis and non-Bengali Muhajirs in November 1969. The disturbances began on 1 November during a strike called by the Muhajirs in Dacca, the capital of East Pakistan (present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh).
Quotes
[edit]- In November 1969, Bengali versus non-Bengali riots broke out in Dhaka. The traditional trouble spots, Mirpur and Muhammadpur- predominantly Bihari areas-had been the scenes of police firing. Later, the army was called in and the police withdrawn. The army was made up entirely of West Pakistanis while the police was East Pakistani. This caused much resentment and distrust amongst the Bengali police hierarchy and bureaucracy, and made yet another dent in the facade of martial law. Curfew had to be imposed despite the martial law as local and non-local feelings were aroused.
- Abdur Rahman Siddiqui, East Pakistan The Endgame: An Onlookers Journal (1969-1971), p. 30.
- This riot was the tip of an iceberg, and the first manifestation of the latent antagonism between Bengalis and non-local Urdu-speaking people. This reached unprecedented heights during the 1971 War of Independence.
- Badruddin Umar, The Emergence of Bangladesh. Vol. 2, p. 215, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195979087.
- খসরু, মন্টু ও সেলিমের ১৪ বছরের সশ্রম কারাদণ্ড হয়। শেখ মুজিব তাদের বাচানাের যথেষ্ট চেষ্টা করেছিলেন। তিনি এত দূর পর্যন্ত বলেছিলেন, যে তারিখে এ ঘটনা ঘটে সেই দিন অভিযুক্ত ব্যক্তিরা তাঁর সঙ্গে ছিলেন। এমনকি গভর্নর আহসানও তাদের সঙ্গে ছিলেন। তারা তখন বাঙালি-বিহারি দাঙ্গা উপদ্রুত ঢাকার মােহাম্মদপুর এলাকা সফর করছিলেন।
- Translation: Khasru, Montu and Selim were sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment. Sheikh Mujib tried hard to save them. He went so far as to say that the accused were with him on the day the incident took place. Even Governor Ahsan was with them. They were visiting the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka, which was in the throes of Bengali-Bihari riots.
- Mohiuddin Ahmed, আওয়ামী লীগ : উত্থানপর্ব ১৯৪৮-১৯৭০ ("Awami League: The Rise of the Party 1948-1970"), p. 210, Prothoma, ISBN 9789849176664.
- Translation: Khasru, Montu and Selim were sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment. Sheikh Mujib tried hard to save them. He went so far as to say that the accused were with him on the day the incident took place. Even Governor Ahsan was with them. They were visiting the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka, which was in the throes of Bengali-Bihari riots.
- ৬৯ সালে বিহারিরা আমগো মারছে। বোম মাইরা, আগুন লাগাইয়া দিত। আমরা বাঙালি পরিবার যে দিকে থাকতাম, ওই দিকে নির্যাতন করত। এখন যেইডা আসাদ এভিনিউ, ওইটা আইয়ূব এভিনিউ ছিল। ওইখান দিয়া পাকিস্তানি গাড়ি যাইত। আমরা পাকিস্তানিগো হারিকেন দিয়া সিগন্যাল দিতাম, আমগো বাঁচান। হ্যারা আমরা না বাঁচাইয়া, উল্টা আমগো দিকে গুলি করত। তখন আমগো তিনজন মারা গেছিল।
- Translation: In 1969, the Biharis attacked us. They threw bombs and set fires. Wherever Bengali families lived, they carried out repression there. What is now Asad Avenue was then Ayub Avenue. Pakistani vehicles used to pass through that street. We signaled to the Pakistanis with lanterns to save us. Instead of saving us, they fired at us. Three of our people were killed then.
- Abul Kashem, A resident of the Sweeper Colony in Mohammadpur who witnessed the riots, ‘৬৯ সালে বিহারিরা আমগো মারছে’, Dhaka Mail, 29 March 2022.
- Translation: In 1969, the Biharis attacked us. They threw bombs and set fires. Wherever Bengali families lived, they carried out repression there. What is now Asad Avenue was then Ayub Avenue. Pakistani vehicles used to pass through that street. We signaled to the Pakistanis with lanterns to save us. Instead of saving us, they fired at us. Three of our people were killed then.
