Al-Badr (East Pakistan)

The Al-Badr (Bengali: আল বদর) was an anti-Bangladesh paramilitary force which operated in Bangladesh against the Bengali nationalist movement during the Bangladesh Liberation War, under the patronage of the Pakistani government.

The name of the paramilitary formation, Al-Badr, means the full moon and refer to the Battle of Badr.

Al-Badr was constituted in September 1971 under the auspices of General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, then chief of the Pakistan Army eastern command. Members of Al-Badr were recruited from public schools and madrasas (religious schools). The unit was used for raids and special operations; the Pakistan army command initially planned to use the locally recruited militias (Al-Badr, Razakar, Al-Shams) for policing cities of East Pakistan, and regular army units to defend the border with India. Most members of Al-Badr appear to have been Biharis.

Despite their similarities in opposing the independence of Bangladesh, the Razakar and Al-Badr had differences; Razakars opposed the Mukti Bahini in general, while Al-Badr’s tactics were terrorism and political killings. All three groups operated under Pakistani command.

After the surrender of the Pakistani army on 16 December 1971, Al-Badr was dissolved together with the Razakar and Al-Shams. Many of the members of this elite unit were arrested. However, during the time of president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, all of the collaborators, including those of Al Badr were pardoned and in 1975 any attempt to try them was repealed.

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