<i>Reburial issue </i>

May I take this opportunity to compliment Gen. Moeen U. Ahmed for all the good work he has been doing. However, I write this letter not just to praise him but to broach the subject of reburial of the seven Birshresthos. I would like to request him to reconsider his proposal to re-bury the Birshreshthos at the Jatiyo Smriti Shoudha. I have the highest regard for the heroes and all the fellow comrades who gave their lives for the cause of our liberation. Being fully aware of the sensitivity of this matter, I would submit that a nation is larger than the glorious war of independence. Jatiyo Smriti Shoudha is not just about the Shahids of special ranks and honour roll; it is for all those who fought for the war - all those dead or alive. It is an icon of the entire nation. I am personally aware of many valiant freedom fighters - some dead and some alive who did not receive any gallantry award. No wonder, in many countries there are national memorials for the unknown soldiers.
In the United States of America, for example, you have the Arlington National Cemetery where all the war heroes are buried and you have the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial which stand apart in the National Mall, signifying separate chapters of their national narratives. Patriotism is more than one-stop shopping.
Today in Bangladesh a national consensus seems to be building on the trial of the war criminals. General Moeen can leave a lasting legacy to the nation by throwing his weight behind this historic and just demand.

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We have come to learn that all the Birshreshthos will be reburied near the National Monument at Savar. The reason, this will make it easy for us to show our respect.
I am sorry, this is simply grotesque to me. These great souls sacrificed their lives for our future. They are all buried in Bangladesh soil. We should be thankful and respectful to them and their families and the cause they fought for. They did not say, “We will stay in Dhaka as going to villages will bring discomfort.”
If someone cannot take the trouble of going to a remote place in Bangladesh to show his/her respect, then that's not needed. Recommendation to those : put pictures of the seven Birshresthos in your living room and avoid traffic.
If anything, the young generation should be sent to those villages and remote areas to feel that these people made the supreme sacrifice to change the lives of fellow people. The life in those villages has not changed, while we enjoy the luxury in Dhaka.
This project should be stopped. Please let them rest in peace in the tranquillity of villages. They should be far away from the corrupt ruling class of Dhaka.
M F Fakhru
Cambridge