Need to unite for int’l recognition

The country will need to be united once again for international recognition of the genocide carried out by the Pakistani army during the 1971 Liberation War, said speakers at a meeting yesterday.

Activists and prominent researchers met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam at the official residence of DU Vice Chancellor to make a strategic plan to get the recognition.

Demand for the recognition is set to be placed before the United Nations Human Rights Council in its 50th session, scheduled to be held between June 13 and July 8 in Geneva.

BASUG, an organisation of the Bangladeshi diaspora, submitted a written statement in this regard, said Mahboob Zaman, organiser of it's Bangladesh chapter.

"Several organisations are working for the cause. All the documents and data regarding the genocide are scattered, which we need to collect and organise," said Mahboob, also a freedom fighter.

"Some separate activities, including establishing the Liberation War Museum and the Genocide Museum, have been done so far. But we need something bigger and more collective to try and achieve international recognition."

"We have already started our work but the agenda needs to be national. We are trying to engage universities, filmmakers and Bangladeshi diaspora communities," he added.

Shahriar Alam said they will provide all kinds of support needed to get the due recognition from the UN.

VC Prof Akhtaruzzaman; Pro-VC (Administration) Prof Muhammad Samad; Director of Centre for Genocide Studies Prof Imtiaz Ahmed; Ekushey Padak winning journalist Ajay Dasgupta; Trustee of Liberation War Museum Mofidul Haque; prominent directors Kawsar Chowdhury and Tanvir Mokammel; DU professors MM Akash and Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan; were present at the meeting.

Activist Bikash Roy Chowdhury and researcher Tawheed R Noor joined it virtually.