User:BengaliHindu/1961 Gopalganj massacre

In May-June 1961, the Bengali Hindus were attacked in Gopalganj sub-division of Faridpur district in reaction to the riots in Jabalpur in India. The Bengali Hindus initially resisted the Muslims mobs, but later the East Pakistan Rifles launched a full-fledged offensive against them. According to the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka around 500 Bengali Hindus were either killed, injured or missing after the offensive.

Background
The Gopalganj sub-division of Faridpur district is mostly was mostly inhabited by the Bengali Hindus belonging to the Namashudra caste. The Namashudras were known for their valour and courage. Historically, the region was considered as a stronghold of the Bengali Hindus.

In 1961, there was a communal riot in Jabalpur in India. Even though the riot was suppressed by the Indian authorities, the Pakistani establishment exaggerated the incidents to the extent that Hindus especially Marwaris were attacked in Daulatpur and Khulna.

Killings
In May, Muslim mobs attacked the Bengali Hindus in the Gopalganj sub-division of Faridpur district. The Bengali Hindus initially resisted the attacks. Later the East Pakistan Rifles launched a full-fledged offensive on the Bengali Hindu villages. They used firearms and provided cover to the Muslim mobs to set fire to the villages. Fourteen Hindu and two Muslim villages were burnt.