The dying art of Qasida
This is a loose translation of a melodious Urdu poem that once used to reverberate through the empty lanes of old Dhaka deep into the Ramadan night.
1m ago
Chronicling Bangladesh’s Birth: The final push
After president Ayub Khan was forced to resign in the face of the 1969 mass uprising, General Yahya Khan assumed office on March 25. He immediately moved to consolidate his power by dissolving both national and provincial assemblies, effectively scrapping the constitution, and declaring martial law across Pakistan.
1m ago
Chronicling Bangladesh’s birth: Tumultuous 1960s
In the early 1960s, another covert group codenamed “Nucleus” emerged in the scene to further the cause of an independent Bangladesh alongside the Inner Group, East Bengal Liberation Front, and Apurba Sangsad.
1m ago
Inner Group: the first push for liberation
The 1940s witnessed the rise of some of the first movements for self-determination in East Pakistan. Politicians, journalists, and intellectuals like Moazzem Ahmed Chowdhury, Abdul Aziz Bagmar, Sirajul Alam Khan, and many others played a pivotal role in these early struggles for liberation.
1m ago
Series genocide in 1971: Three times a survivor
It is difficult for 68-year-old Shikha Biswas to decide if she is fortunate or not.
5m ago
Battles that quickened victory
Undeterred by setbacks, the freedom fighters held their nerve, and their resolute spirit fuelled the fight to liberate Bangladesh
5m ago
Slow pace, irregularities mark monument construction
Since its inception in 2001, the Liberation War affairs ministry has taken up two projects to identify and preserve killing fields in different parts of Bangladesh, but both initiatives have been marred by irregularities and slow pace.
5m ago
1971 War Killing Fields: Revered but not preserved
An unceremonious monument covered by bushes on three sides is barely visible from the adjacent road. At first sight during our visit in October, it was difficult to make out that the small structure is in fact the memorial of the notorious Pahartoli killing field.
5m ago
December 14, 2022
Martyred intellectuals day: Murderous scheme
It was the morning of November 15, 1971. After a two-day weekend, Dr Azharul Haque, a surgeon of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, was in a hurry to go to his hospital. As there was a curfew in place, he called up the hospital authorities to send an ambulance to take him to the office.
October 31, 2022
Denied again
Syed Hafizur Rahman, a martyred guerrilla of Liberation War, has once again been denied the state recognition.
October 24, 2022
Half a century gone chasing recognition
Syed Hafizur Rahman was part of a band of youths who were trained in urban guerrilla warfare to carry out covert operations and strike fear into the hearts of the Pakistan occupation army during the Liberation War.
May 20, 2022
Chuknagar: A sea of blood
The massacre began at 11:00am and ended at 5:00pm. More than 10,000 people were killed by a platoon of Pakistani army, according to local historians.
March 25, 2022
Jagannath Hall massacre: Loved ones lost to demons
An eerie calm settled over Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University in the evening of March 25, 1971. The uneasiness soon turned into foreboding as the night progressed.
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