Indian filmmaker revisits 1971 Bangladesh genocide in new documentary

Indian filmmaker Ramesh Sharma says his new documentary, Chronicles of the Forgotten Genocide, seeks to re-examine the 1971 Bangladesh genocide by probing the political forces he believes enabled the violence and by addressing what he describes as decades of limited accountability.

"After reading about what I call the Bangladesh genocide of 1971, I realised there had been no accountability in this either," Sharma said, explaining why he undertook the project. He said he looks for subjects that blend human interest with political complexity, and that the events of 1971 reflected that combination, says the Times of India.

A major focus of the film is an effort to "unveil the puppet masters like the CIA and Henry Kissinger who were helping Pakistan." Sharma argues that the violence bears "the fingerprints of American imperialism — besides Bangladesh, there is Cambodia, Vietnam, Chile." While noting US support for Pakistan during the conflict, he said the United States circumvented a Congressional ban on weapons transfers by routing them through Iran and Jordan. "I'm not anti-American. I'm anti-American imperialism," he said.

The documentary draws on research and declassified documents made available through the work of American writers and historians, including Lawrence Lifschultz, Kai Bird and Gary Bass. Sharma said the trauma of the conflict remains visible across generations. "Even though Gen-Z hasn't experienced that trauma, I think the scars still run very deep."

Discussing contemporary Bangladeshi politics, Sharma said former prime minister Sheikh Hasina "did a lot of things that shouldn't have been done," adding, "She made mistakes, like her father made mistakes." Still, he argued that outside interference should not be dismissed. "But I don't think the involvement of the US in the regime change can be discounted," he said.

Sharma also expressed concerns about India's approach to Bangladesh. "Yes, we gave shelter to 10 million refugees but that doesn't mean Bangladesh should become a vassal state," he said. "Such a Big Brother approach has made us unpopular in our neighbourhood."

He linked these dynamics to broader questions about democracy and radicalization. "It shows that whenever there is no democracy, people go to the mosque," he said. "Whenever there's no freedom of the press, they go to the streets." He added, "A true democracy is the greatest safety valve against radicalisation," and "It is what keeps this pluralistic and incredibly varied country together."

The film incorporates AI-generated visuals to recreate historical scenes due to the scarcity or high cost of archival material. Sharma said technological limitations and expense made this approach necessary. "I think in a couple of years, AI will become so sophisticated and low cost that it will be the go-to source for archival-based documentaries," he said.

Reflecting on the current climate, he noted that producing such a film today might be more difficult. "Honestly, looking at the kind of intolerance we see today, I would not have been able to make the film today." Sharma said he would consider continuing the project if possible. "Having said that, I would love to make a sequel, but nobody will fund it, and that is the tragedy of it," he said.