On March 31, 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Pakistani military launched a brutal crackdown on the capital city of Dhaka. The operation, known as Operation Searchlight, aimed to suppress the growing independence movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The military targeted civilians, students, and intellectuals, resulting in widespread violence, mass killings, and rapes. The exact number of casualties is uncertain, but estimates suggest that thousands of people were killed in the first days of the operation. This tragic event marked the beginning of a nine-month-long war for independence, which culminated in the creation of Bangladesh in December 1971.