Bangladesh Liberation War ( ' ) , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence , or simply the Liberation War ' '' in Bangladesh , was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in what was then East Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh genocide . It resulted in the independence of the People 's Republic of Bangladesh . The war began after the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March 1971 . It pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians , students , intelligentsia , religious minorities and armed personnel . The junta annulled the results of the 1970 elections and arrested Prime minister-designate Sheikh Mujibur Rahman . The war ended on 16 December 1971 after West Pakistan surrendered
1971 Bangladesh genocide
1971 Bangladesh genocide
Bangladesh Liberation War