Is 3 million martyrs real?

What was the number of martyrs in the 1971 Liberation War?

The claim of 3 million martyrs is entirely unrealistic – there’s no logical basis to accept it. On the other hand, the figure of 2–3 thousand is also deeply inhumane. However, there’s no doubt that the Liberation War of 1971 was the greatest sacrifice and highest achievement of the people of this country. After independence, the governments of Bangladesh could have objectively determined the actual number of martyrs, freedom fighters, and collaborators – their names, identities, and details. But no one undertook this critically important task. It’s still possible. Bangladesh is a small country, and many living references still exist. What’s needed is a proper historical investigation.

Yet even in this era of advanced technology, the government failed to accurately determine the number of martyrs, injured, or even basic identities from the July uprising just last year. So how can they uncover the truth of 1971? They lack the competence, skill, and resolve. Instead, help must be sought from internationally recognized experts.

It may sound harsh, but the reality is that very few people in Bangladesh actively participated in the Liberation War. Only the emotionally driven individuals are always willing to stand against oppression and injustice. Out of 75 million people, fewer than 150,000 actively took part in the war. Even if we assume 30 million were of fighting age, what percentage does that give? Ask most people and you’ll find that among their extended families, no one directly participated in the war. (In my own family, my father’s side includes a freedom fighter commander – a first relative. On my mother’s side, there’s one falsely accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case and several freedom fighters. Others on both sides were active supporters – I mention this for context.)

In all my years, I’ve met only one person whose family included a martyr – an elder from my university, whose uncle was Shaheed Dr. Zahirul Haque, after whom a hall at Dhaka Medical College is named. I say this because many of you may share similar experiences. If there were truly 3 million martyrs, nearly every family would have lost someone, and every village would have mass graves. (At that time, most families were joint families, and the total number of families in the country may have been around 5 to 10 million.) Is that the case? No.

Yet it’s also true that where killings occurred, no one was spared – mass executions were carried out. These incidents were numerous, especially in regions like Noakhali, Khulna, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Cumilla, Sylhet, and others, where systematic massacres took place. Based on this, I estimate the number of martyrs to be between 200,000 and 500,000.

Some foreign witnesses who were in Dhaka at the time help paint a neutral picture of the facts:

• Simon Dring (The Daily Telegraph): Over 7,000 killed in Dhaka on the night of March 25.
• Anthony Mascarenhas (The Sunday Times): “A planned genocide is underway in East Pakistan.”
• Robert Payne (Massacre): Estimated the number of martyrs could exceed 50,000.
• U.S. diplomat Archer Blood in his “Blood Telegram”: “Genocide is taking place in East Pakistan, and we are silent observers.”

According to the 2008 report by the War Crimes Fact Finding Committee (WCFFC), the number of martyrs may be between 300,000 and 500,000. More than 400,000 women were victims of rape, many of whom were later killed or committed suicide.

The figure of 3 million martyrs may be a symbolic number – an emotionally driven representation of the scale of genocide and the immense sacrifice of the Bangladeshi people. But if the country’s rulers truly believe this number to be real, then the dream of those martyrs – a happy, prosperous, corruption-free, secular Bangladesh – should keep them awake at night. Yet no one has been able to show any signs of that dream being realized since 1971. The fate of the people has not changed.

The debate over the number of martyrs in 1971 is not just about statistics – it’s a matter of memory, justice, and historical accountability. The claim of 3 million may be symbolic, but the figure of 2–3 thousand is insulting and unacceptable. We need evidence-based research and international recognition so that the sacrifices of the martyrs are properly honored and future generations can know the truth.