Create consensus for Genocide Day

Speakers at a discussion yesterday stressed the need for creating consensus among people at home and abroad to earn international recognition of the Genocide Day which will be observed today in the country.

Like the Liberation War, the incident of genocide is marked permanently in the history of Bangladesh and the young generation need to work for its due recognition of the day, they said.

Dhaka University Alumni Association (DUAA) held the discussion at DU Senate Building ahead of the Genocide Day, which is to be observed for the first time in the history of Bangladesh.

The National Parliament on March 11 unanimously adopted a resolution to observe March 25 as Genocide Day after Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal lawmaker Shirin Akter from Feni-1 placed a motion. 

The government recently said it will write to the United Nations this month seeking recognition of March 25 as  Genocide Day.

On this day in 1971, Pakistan army cracked down on the Bangalees and massacred them indiscriminately.

Speaking at the discussion, eminent cultural personality and freedom fighter Nasiruddin Yousuff said earning national recognition of the day is quite important as “it will help young generation to know what actually happened on this day in 1971”.

DU Pro Vice-chancellor Prof Nasreen Ahmad said the DU campus suffered worst atrocity committed by the Pakistan army -- from the beginning till the end of the Liberation War.

Speaking as chief guest, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said the government is conducting trial of war criminals to make sure that the ones involved in the genocide do not go unpunished.

Tapan Kumar Bardhan, one of the few who survived the atrocity of Pakistan army at Jagannath Hall of the DU, narrated how he had survived the attack on the fateful day.

Shei Rater Kotha Bolchhi, a documentary directed by Kawsar Chowdhury, was screened later.

To commemorate the day, the DUAA in the evening toady will bring out a torch procession that will march from Senate Building to Jagannath Hall.

DUAA President AK Azad, its secretary general Ranjan Karmakar and Prof Mannan Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the discussion.