Al-Badar (1971)
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Al-Badar (আল বদর) was a paramilitary force formed in Bangladesh in 1971 by the army of Pakistan.
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[edit] Naming and Inspirations
Al-Badar means The Battlefield of Badar. The politics of the force were intermingled with Jihad, the religious war or holy war of Muhammad 1400 years earlier. However, the war between Pakistan and Bangladesh was a nationalistic war, not a religious one.
[edit] Background
On 1971-03-25, after beginning the Bangladesh Liberation War, Pakistani military forces required military support from Bengali supporters as well as the non-Bengali muhazirs in order to abolish the independence fighters of Bangladesh, the Mukti Bahini, Hemayet Bahini and Kaderiya Bahini. The Al Badar were formed to detect these independence fighters and to have guides as well as co-fighters who were familiar with the local terrain.
The force was composed of madrasa students-teachers, supporters of Muslim League and Jamaat E Islam, and muhazirs coming from non-Bengali part of India.
[edit] Tasks
The Al Badar were assigned a variety of combat and non-combat tasks including:
- Taking part in the operations
- Spying against Muktibahini
- Interrogation
- Working as the guides of the regular army
- Assassination
- Detecting and killing Bengali intellectuals
- Looting and supplying women-children to rape
[edit] Abolition
On 16 December, 1971, Pakistan surrendered. Members of Al Badar, along with Rajakar, Al-Shams, and Shanti Committee were forgiven.
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