Tribute to Birangonas

I am not a son of any freedom fighter. I did not see the liberation war of 1971. Whatever knowledge I have about liberation war, I have gathered it from books. I never met any Birangona. Perhaps, that's why I am now suffering from a sense of guilt.
In my opinion, the sacrifice made by the Birangonas is not highlighted adequately. The government should take all possible steps to increase the living standards of Birangonas. In our academic curriculum too, their contribution must be included in a bigger way. If we think them to be untouchable, that would be a great sin. Most of the Birangonas have now become very old. At this stage they deserve our maximum attention and care. Throughout the whole life, they suffered from frustration. Now we should also think about the recreational aspects of their lives. More opportunities should be given to them, so that they can share their grief and sorrow. All these things cannot be done by the government alone. NGOs too have a great role to play here.
A fund can also be created for extending financial support to them. After Sidr, “Prothom Alo” created a fund to help the victims and got a massive response. In the same way, you too can create a fund. The Bangladeshi nationals staying abroad will also be motivated.
There are thousands of people like me in Bangladesh. It is not possible for us to take any step or do anything for the Birangonas. Only a collective effort can help achieve our goal.