India supports Bangladesh’s call for justice over 1971 genocide by Pakistan

Key facts

• India on Friday backed Bangladesh’s ‘desire for justice’ for the genocide committed by Pakistan during Operation Searchlight in 1971.
• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the atrocities involved the systematic murder of millions of Bangladeshi people and mass sexual crimes against women.
• Jaiswal noted the atrocities forced millions to flee to India as refugees and shook the conscience of the world.
• Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman wrote on 25 March 2026 calling the Pakistani action a pre-planned massacre and one of the most heinous genocides in history.
• Pakistan maintains that all 1971 issues were settled through the 1974 tripartite agreement signed between New Delhi, Dhaka and Islamabad.
• Dhaka has consistently demanded a formal apology from Islamabad for the 1971 acts committed by its military.