He was speaking at a discussion on "Role of Women in the War of Liberation" organised by Gauraber Muktijuddha Sangathan, a non-government organisation, at Bishwa Sahitya Kendra in the city.

Prof Ahmad, also chairman, Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB), said initiatives should be taken in every village all over the country for writing the struggle of women during the war through oral method.

"Our mothers and sisters had a great contribution in the war directly or by assisting the freedom fighters and providing them psychological supports, but there seems no initiative to write the history of their contribution and preserve them," he said.

"There are people in every village, who can describe what happened in their village during the war and we should approach them and thus the role of women in the war would come to light and be preserved."

Presided over by Sangathan Convener Bhaskor Rasha, the discussion was also addressed by Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, poet Samudra Gupta, the daily Manabjamin Managing Editor KM Babar Ashraful Haque and Bir Sreshtha Flight Lt Matiur Rahman's widow Mili Rahman.

Prof Siddique said the process of liberation war is still continuing, as the goals of the war are yet to be materialised. The history of the liberation has been forged in such a way that it turns out to a comedy, he added.

"This way the role of women in the war was also lost from history. As we forgot to preserve our heroes' contributions and the spirit of the war, we got an independent country but we are yet to find freedom in the sectors of economy and culture."

Mili Rahman demanded that Biranganas (women who were repressed by Pakistani army during the liberation war) should also be addressed as freedom fighters.