General Tikka Khan – The Butcher of Bangladesh and The Biggest Nightmare

Dhaka Desk, Delhi Magazine: When discussing some of the worst war crimes in history, the name General Tikka Khan stands out for his brutality in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971. He is remembered as the Butcher of Bangladesh, responsible for orchestrating one of the largest mass rapes and genocidal campaigns in world history.

Early Life and Military Career

General Tikka Khan was born in undivided India in present-day Madhya Pradesh. He trained at a military academy and was recruited as a Captain in the Indian Army. Due to his performance in World War II and the Burma Campaign, the British promoted him to Major. However, after the Partition of India in 1947, he moved to Pakistan, where his military career progressed rapidly.

He played key roles in Pakistan’s wars with India, including the Kutch conflict and the battles over Kashmir, which earned him high military ranks. Eventually, he became Pakistan’s first Chief of Army Staff in 1972.

Tikka Khan’s Role in the Bangladesh Genocide

In March 1971, when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman demanded independence for East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Pakistan’s dictator, General Yahya Khan, sent Tikka Khan as the Governor and Martial Law Administrator to suppress the movement. What followed was a campaign of extreme violence, mass killings, and rape, unprecedented in modern history.

Operation Searchlight (March 25–26, 1971)

On the night of March 25, 1971, Tikka Khan ordered “Operation Searchlight”, a brutal military crackdown on Bengali nationalists, students, and intellectuals. This led to:

• Dhaka University Massacre: Pakistani troops killed thousands of students and teachers.
• Shankhari Bazar and other  Hindu and Shia Muslim Localities Attack: Thousands of people were slaughtered in Old Dhaka.
• Mass Rapes: Under his command, over 60,000 women were raped in just two days.
• Journalist Killings: Bengali journalists were executed, and newspapers were shut down to suppress international reporting.

Mass Atrocities Across East Pakistan

After Dhaka, Tikka Khan extended his genocidal campaign to other parts of East Pakistan, including Chittagong, Jessore, Khulna, Comilla, and Rajshahi. His soldiers were instructed to:

• Eliminate pro-independence Bengali intellectuals and students
• Massacre bangladesh supportive civilians and drive them out of the country
• Commit sexual violence against Bengali women as a war strategy

These actions led to: ✅ Over 3 million people killed ✅ 10 million Bengali refugees fleeing to India ✅ A refugee crisis that triggered India’s intervention ✅ The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh

International Outrage and Removal

The barbarity of Tikka Khan shocked the world. Pakistani journalist Anthony Mascarenhas exposed the genocide in the Sunday Times (UK), forcing global leaders to condemn Pakistan’s actions. Due to international pressure, Yahya Khan removed Tikka Khan from East Pakistan in August 1971, replacing him with General A.A.K. Niazi.

The End of a War Criminal

Despite his crimes, Tikka Khan was never tried for war crimes. Instead, he was promoted to Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (1972–1976) under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

His fellow military officers distanced themselves from him, and even General Cariappa (his former Indian colleague) criticized his inhuman actions.

Final Days and Death

In his last years, Tikka Khan suffered from cancer, but he could not get proper treatment as many countries refused to treat the Butcher of Bangladesh.

Reports suggest that in the last three months before his death, he lost his mental stability and screamed in distress. He died in Pakistan in 2002, leaving behind a legacy of war crimes, genocide, and untold suffering in Bangladesh.

Conclusion

General Tikka Khan remains one of history’s most infamous war criminals, whose actions in 1971 led to one of the worst genocides and mass rapes in the world. His brutal campaign against the Bengali people was a key factor in Bangladesh’s eventual independence, but the scars of his atrocities remain etched in history forever.