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If the 1970 election was the moment a nation voted almost unanimously for autonomy if not independence, then the military operation that began on the night of March 25, 1971, was the moment that aspiration was met with unimaginable violence. Codenamed Operation SearchlightOperation Searchlight Full Description:The codename for the Pakistani military’s pre-planned crackdown launched on the night of March 25, 1971. The operation targeted Dhaka University, Hindu neighborhoods, the Bengali police barracks, and the homes of Awami League leaders. It marked the beginning of the genocide and the war for independence. Critical Perspective:Operation Searchlight was a textbook case of counterinsurgency…