1969 Dhaka riots

Series of communal riots in East Pakistan February 2026 Dhaka Riots Dacca, East Pakistan, Pakistan Bengalis, Biharis and Punjabi Muslims 1 November – 6 November 1969 UTC+6 Riot 12 110 Bengali mobs, pro-West Pakistani opportunistic groups Expulsion of non-Bengali Muslims from East Pakistan 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). In order to stop the riots, the provincial government deployed the state military and the East Pakistan Rifles and enforced curfew. However, after five days, the riots were subdued through the efforts of people. These disturbances had a lasting impact on relations between Bengalis and non-Bengalis in East Pakistan, traces of which can be observed during the Liberation War of 1971. Background During the colonial period, communal riots were common in India, and riots frequently occurred among religious communities in British-ruled Bengal. However, following the partition of India in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan, religious riots declined significantly. As a result of independence, the province of Bengal was divided, and East Bengal (later East Pakistan) became part of the new state.Umar 2006 212 The partition led to the migration of Muhajirs from West Bengal and Bihar to East Bengal, the majority of whom were Biharis. https://dhakamail.com/national/8561 ‘৬৯ সালে বিহারিরা আমগো মারছে’ bn Kazi Rafiq 29 March 2022 Dhaka Mail https://web.archive.org/web/20251227201954/https://dhakamail.com/national/8561 27 December 2025 live However, during the Bengali Language Movement of the 1950s, which sought to establish Bengali as a state language of Pakistan, the issue of disparity between the eastern and western wings came to the forefront among Bengalis, the majority of the province. Since political power in Pakistan was controlled from the western wing, hostility gradually developed between Bengali and non-Bengali Muslims.Umar 2006 212 The Bengali middle class began to view the exploiters as Urdu-speaking and West Pakistani. On the other hand, the Urdu-speaking Muhajirs residing in East Bengal came to regard Bengalis who supported the Bengali Language Movement as enemies of Islam, as Urdu was perceived by them as the language of Islamic literature and culture. As a result, non-Bengali Muhajirs became socially isolated from East Pakistani society.Umar 2006 213 In March 1969, following the mass uprising of 1969, Pakistan's president Ayub Khan resigned, and Yahya Khan assumed state power. He promised to allow the formation of a new constitution and a new government through elections based on adult franchise. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19690325.2.8&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-------- Desert Sun 25 March 1969 — California Digital Newspaper Collection 28 December 2025 YAHYA PLEDGES FREE ELECTIONS BASIS OF ADULT FRANCHISE - New Constitution By Elected Representatives Honest, Clean Administration A Must For Constructive Political Life CMLA Addresses Nation 1 27 March 1969 The Daily Post On 1 November 1969, in the East Pakistani capital Dacca's Mirpur (present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh), a group of people attempted to forcibly shut down shops and block roads in order to compel observance of a strike demanding the supply of voter registration forms in the Urdu language. শনিবারের ঘটনা সম্পর্কে সরকারী প্রেসনোট: ৪০ জন পুলিস কর্মচারী হাসপাতালে ভর্তি bn 1, 8 2 November 1969 The Daily Ittefaq Riots According to a statement by the government of East Pakistan, when police attempted to break road blockades and obstruct the activities of strike enforcers, the situation escalated and the strike turned violent. Following the clashes, the spread of rumors led to riots breaking out in several parts of Dacca. Forty police officers injured in the riots were admitted to hospitals. The total number of injured was 71, and six people were killed. After the incidents, the East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) and the Pakistan Army were deployed in the affected areas. The provincial government imposed a curfew on streets and roads in Dacca and Narayanganj until 7:00 a.m. the following morning. CALM RESTORED: 6 Lives lost in Dacca trouble 1 2 November 1969 The Eastern Examiner As the riots continued the next day, one was killed and 19 were injured in Dacca. By noon, the situation further deteriorated, and riots occurred in Dacca's Mirpur, Hazaribagh, Rayerbazar, and Kamalapur. At New Market, a petrol pump and vehicles were set on fire. To bring the situation under control, the army had to open fire. One Killed, 19 Injured: Army Opens Fire In Dacca 1 3 November 1969 Daily Business Post From 2:00 p.m., a curfew was imposed in Dacca and Narayanganj for 16 hours. M.L. order No.2 reimposed 1 3 November 1969 The Eastern Examiner In 3 November, two non-Bengali non-commissioned officers of the army were stabbed to death at New Market. আওয়ামী লীগ : উত্থানপর্ব ১৯৪৮-১৯৭০ bn Mohiuddin Ahmed Mohiuddin Ahmed (publisher) 2016 209–210 Prothoma 9789849176664 During the riots, an individual was dragged off a bus at the area and beaten by a group of mob, but was rescued by the EPR. At night, when approximately 200 armed men attempted to enter Mohammadpur by boat from outside the city, several people were injured by gunfire from patrolling army personnel. On that day, a total of 13 people were injured, one of whom later died while undergoing treatment. Another life lost in Dacca 1 4 November 1969 The Eastern Examiner In 4 November, one person was killed and six were injured. The government reported that a total of 11 people were arrested over three days during the riots. One Dead, 6 Injured in Dacca: Situation Considerably Improved 1 5 November 1969 Daily Business Post The provincial administration reimposed a curfew for ten hours. M.L. Order No.2 reimposed for 10 hours 1 5 November 1969 The Eastern Examiner By 5 November, although the situation had largely returned to normal, one person was killed and another injured in an explosion in Mohammadpur. One more killed in Dacca 1 6 November 1969 The Eastern Examiner On the same day, a curfew was enforced for ten hours in Mirpur and the areas under the police station of Tejgaon. CITY CALM AND NORMAL: PROBE COMMISSION ANNOUNCED 1 6 November 1969 The Pakistan Observer According to historian Badruddin Umar, the riots were primarily instigated by a faction of the East Pakistan Awami League (EPAL), which sought to expel non-Bengali Muhajirs from East Pakistan in order to gain political and economic advantage. Alongside Bengali mobs, opportunistic and unscrupulous groups aligned with West Pakistan also participated in the riots. Umar stated that a significant portion of the casualties in Mohammadpur, were non-Bengalis.Umar 2006 214 Aftermath Reactions As soon as the riots began, various political parties across the country issued statements in response. In 1 November, Shah Azizur Rahman, deputy leader of the opposition in the recently dissolved National Assembly of Pakistan, called on the public to refrain from responding to provocations and to work toward restoring peace. Muzaffar Ahmed, president of the East Pakistan branch of the National Awami Party (Wali) (NAPW), urged the maintenance of unity, peace, and discipline. In addition, Nuruzzaman, chairman of the East Pakistan branch of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), demanded a judicial inquiry into the riots. সকল উস্কানির মুখে শান্তি বজায় রাখার জন্য সর্বশক্তি নিয়োগ করুন bn 1, 8 2 November 1969 The Daily Ittefaq Nurul Amin, president of the Pakistan Democratic Party (PDP), expressed his willingness to take action to prevent riots at any cost. সুস্থবুদ্ধি মানুষকে দুষ্কৃতিকারীর বিরুদ্ধে রুখিয়া দাড়াইতে হইবে bn 1 3 November 1969 The Azad In 2 November, Siddique Ahmad, president of the Nizam-e-Islam Party (NIP), condemned the riot incidents. City leaders appeal for peace 1 3 November 1969 The Eastern Examiner In 3 November, provincial governor Syed Mohammad Ahsan visited the riot-affected areas and appealed to the public to work toward restoring peace at any cost. Ahsan leads peace mission to affected localities in Dacca 1 4 November 1969 Dawn On the same day, responding by telephone from London, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, president of the All-Pakistan Awami League (AL), expressed sorrow over the riots and stated that they had been instigated with the aim of halting the upcoming elections. দেশবাসীর প্রতি মুজিবের আহবানঃ শুক্রবার ঢাকা প্রত্যাবর্তন bn 1 5 November 1969 The Daily Ittefaq In a speech delivered in 4 November, Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, chairman of the National Awami Party (Bhashani) (NAPB), held reactionary forces responsible for inciting the riots, and additionally blamed the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the government of India, and the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI). Bhasani appeals for sanity, amity 1 5 November 1969 The Morning News President Yahya Khan expressed grief over the loss of life during the riots. Yahya grieved 1 5 November 1969 The Pakistan Observer In 7 November, Mostafa Jamal Haider, a member of the central committee of the East Pakistan Students' Union (EPSU), stated at a meeting that "anti-people reactionary elements" were responsible for the riots. EPSU LEADER SAYS: Reactionary forces behind Dacca trouble 1 8 November 1969 The Eastern Examiner Results In 2 November, the provincial governor held multiple meetings with newspaper editors, political leaders, and senior administrative officials regarding the situation. নেতৃবৃন্দ ও সংবাদপত্র সম্পাদকদের সহিত গভর্ণরের বৈঠক bn 1 3 November 1969 The Sangbad On 4 November, peace committees were formed in several parts of the city to prevent further riots. শহরের বিভিন্ন এলাকায় শান্তি কমিটি গঠিত bn 1 5 November 1969 The Daily Ittefaq In 5 November, the government of East Pakistan formed an inquiry commission into the riot incidents, appointing East Pakistan High Court judges Salahuddin Ahmed and Maksum-ul-Hakim as its members. By 6 November, due to the efforts of political figures, student leaders, and various organizations, the situation in Dacca returned to normal and the disturbances came to an end. শহরে সম্পূর্ণ স্বাভাবিক অবস্থা bn 1 7 November 1969 The Azad To prevent further riots, a 49-member civic committee was formed in East Pakistan, headed by poet Sufia Kamal. নাগরিক শান্তি সমিতি গঠিত bn 1 7 November 1969 The Sangbad A case was filed at the police station of Lalbagh accusing four individuals of murdering two non-commissioned officers. Although the accused AL leader Nurul Islam Talukdar, chairman of New Paltan Union Council, East Pakistan Students' League (EPSL) leader Mostafa Mohsin Montu, and his brother Selim Jahan were arrested, Khasru, another EPSL leader, could not be apprehended as he was hiding in the rooftop water tank of Sir Iqbal Hall (present-day Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall) of the University of Dacca. Under the verdict of the military court in Dacca, all except Talukdar were sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. The riots were confined solely to Dacca and had a negative impact on relations between Bengalis and non-Bengali Muhajirs. As a result, during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, relations between the two communities in the province reached their lowest point, and hostility between them intensified to an extreme level.Umar 2006 215 References Bibliography The Emergence of Bangladesh Badruddin Umar Badruddin Umar 2 Oxford University Press 2006 0195979087 Umar 2006 External links Category:1969 riots Category:1969 in East Pakistan Category:20th century in Dhaka Category:Ethnic riots Category:Muhajir history Category:Causes and prelude of the Bangladesh Liberation War