Bangladesh Liberation Archives in Washington present an Informative Seminar on the Reminiscence of Bangladesh Liberation War

USANEWSONLINE : Bangladesh Liberation Archives organized a seminar at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington  DC  recalling the history of Liberation War of 1971 where speakers focused on the events during the long nine month’s war from their own involvement adding different dimensions to the story of liberation War.  The panelists included Ambassador Akramul Qader, the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the USA , Dr William Greenough Professor of Medicine and International Health Johns Hopkins University School of medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Thomas A Dine ,  former Foreign and Defense Policy Expert to Senators Frank Church , Edmund Muskie and Edward  Kennedy  and Ziauddin Choudhury , a retired official from the World Bank , author of  several books who saw the liberation war from inside Bangladesh . The whole program was moderated by Anis Ahmed, a Broadcast Journalist and a former Assistant Professor of English in Dhaka University.

At the beginning of the program the moderator quoted from  Charles Dickens’ novel The  Tale of Two Cities where Dickens says , “ it was the best of times, it was the worst of times…it was the spring of hope , it was the winter of despair” and said they expect to hear  from the speakers why the epoch making war of liberation in 1971 was the best of times and the worst of times. The speakers spoke in details how this War of Independence in Bangladesh was fought not only on the battle ground or by the freedom fighters, it was fought by common people and not merely at home , it was also fought abroad where people cared for democracy that was ruined by the colonial military rulers of the erstwhile Pakistan . Dr Greenough while mentioning about his close association with Bangladesh since 1962  and the humane work that he was carrying on also mentioned how a Bengali lady from Pakistan embassy  had left at his doorsteps some secret documents which unveiled the  facts that Pakistan was importing arms from the USA which they had planned to use against the innocent civilians in the then East Pakistan . Eventually this information led to the blockade of the Pakistani ship at Baltimore Bay. Ziauddin Choudhury who was the sub –divisional officer in Munshiganj and Manikganj sub-divisions in 1971 and who was detained and harshly interrogated by Pakistani Army in those days. In spite of the ordeal that he went through , Choudhury narrates how the ordinary people , the unsung heroes like the peasants and police and women in villages worked secretly in their own capacities , as did Ziauddin Choudhury , to help achieve the liberation of Bangladesh .

Thomas A Dine , in his speech unveiled the conflict between the executive and the legislative branches within USA on the Liberation War of Bangladesh . Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger , in those days were vehemently opposed  to the liberation of Bangladesh and principally guided only by US interest they openly supported Pakistan and its actions . Dine also says how supportive were some of the members of legislative body, including Senator Edward Kennedy, for the cause of Bangladesh Liberation War . He added that it was a shame for the then government of the USA not to support the democratic causes in countries like Bangladesh which held its free and fair election and yet were deprived of its legitimate rights.

Finally Ambassador Akramul Qader expressed his personal tragic story and said that he was talking about this tragedy which befell his family when two of his brothers were lost in the War of Liberation , not as an Ambassador but as a common citizen of Bangladesh and he understood that several millions had lost their lives. In his choked voice he mentioned how his mother suffered after five of his brothers joined the liberation war of which one was  killed and the other was lost  forever, no trace of him was found. In his choked voice Ambassador Qader said the tragedy itself which was felt by thousands of family demands justice. Hence the perpetrators of the War Crime and the crime against humanity should be brought to justice.

At the end of the program , Dr Shamima Akhter Daisy , the co-ordinator of Bangladesh Liberation Archives delivered the vote of thanks . The program was emceed by Nadia Afrin , a team member of  Bangladesh Liberation Archives in her introductory speech described the objectives of this organization . She said that BLA was determined to disseminate objective information on Bangladesh Liberation War to the younger Bangladeshi diaspora in the USA.