Liberation War 1971

News report / Eminent author, journalist Gita Mehta passes away

Mehta also directed the documentary film Dateline Bangladesh based on her time stationed in Bangladesh during the war.

‘Bay of Blood’: A powerful call for recognition and justice

Krishnendu Bose’s directorial “Bay of Blood” is a searing feature documentary, a gripping narrative that takes you on a journey through the heart-wrenching history of Bangladesh’s birth, unearthing the chilling truths of a genocide that echoed across the ages.

Two storms and a nation’s birth

The Vortex is a collage of selfless acts to help victims of the Bhola cyclone and the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.

“Fragile Things”: How ghosts and spirituality make it into writing

Participants, including the show’s hosts and guests, picked up discarded pebbles, photo frames, children’s artwork, and other knick knacks—all fragile things collected and displayed by the author. 

How Pakistan viewed ‘71: Academics and publishers discuss

To understand the attitude of the adversaries of the Liberation War, I went to collect the data for this book and found that Pakistanis are defending themselves.

Chuknagar: A shocking savagery

It was around 11:00am on May 20, 1971.

When the message of Bangladesh’s liberation travelled on two wheels

Jamal Hasan and his three teammates decided to go on a goodwill mission for the fledgling state to thank the people of the world for supporting their Liberation War.

Motherhood, martyrdom and the spirit of female resistance in 1971

Ekattorer Dinguli forces one to acknowledge the dire reality of ethnic and religious violence, and the harsh legacy of colonial oppression and divide that has ruptured the fabric of the South Asian subcontinent since 1947.

War in the waters: Looking back at Operation Jackpot, 1971

Operation Jackpot was the first—and allegedly best—campaign of naval commandos during the Liberation War of 1971, a deadly blow against the Pakistani invasion forces carried out on August 16, 1971.

March 28, 2023
March 28, 2023

Our struggle for freedom is not done yet

I am here not to refute any of these stances but to ask readers to think deeply about why people got so uncomfortable seeing such a photo/heading like this. 

March 26, 2023
March 26, 2023

You said

Notun Bazar was burning, burning! /Shops, stores, woodpiles/ Piled up iron, timber, mosques and temples/ Notun Bazar was burning, burning!

March 25, 2023
March 25, 2023

Rights activists slam US report’s claims about Jamaat

Anti war crimes campaigners and rights activists have criticised the latest US human rights report on Bangladesh that advocated for the "freedom of assembly" of Jamaat-e-Islami – which strongly opposed the independence of Bangladesh and with the Pakistan army committed crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

March 25, 2023
March 25, 2023

Bangabandhu through the eyes of Japanese filmmaker, Nagisa Oshima

The Japanese film director, Nagisa Oshima is a glaring exception. Primarily known for his New Wave style of filmmaking, in many cases, Nagisa Oshima has brought up rebellious and underprivileged youths in his films. Compared to the usual subject matters of his films, it is interesting to see that his two documentaries focusing on Bangladesh, Joi Bangla (1972) and Rahman: Father of Bengal (1973), are different. He finds the intense glory of Bangladesh's achievements in the context of 1972-73 even when the country was in a war-torn condition following the war in his film Rahman: Father of Bengal.

March 25, 2023
March 25, 2023

War and peace and poetry and poets

How can you talk about peace without taking into account war? Both are subjects not only of Tolstoy’s great novel but also of the two founding epic poems of Greek as well as Indian literature.

March 4, 2023
March 4, 2023

'We dissented Pakistan as it ignored the rights of the people of our region'

Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation revisits the spirit of liberation in March.

February 27, 2023
February 27, 2023

Top 5 interesting facts about ‘Pop Samrat’ Azam Khan

Azam Khan holds a significant place in Bangladeshi music history. He was one of the first local musicians to introduce western instruments and infuse them with compositions based on the Bangladeshi society of his time.

February 26, 2023
February 26, 2023

Khijir Hayat Khan’s open letter to the Prime Minister 

Prior to the release of his film, Khijir Hayat Khan posted a video on his YouTube channel addressing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, about how the release of Hindi cinema in our country could damage the business of Bangladeshi cinema in the theatres.

February 21, 2023
February 21, 2023

5 books to read this year in observance of Ekushey February

The landmark event not only united the nation to speak up against oppression but paved a new direction for what ultimately led to our independence.

January 10, 2023
January 10, 2023

Bangabandhu comes home, completes victory

It was the British Royal Air Force comet jet that, on January 10, 1972, carried Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to his freed motherland -- the country he had led to independence.