‘Recognise artists who campaigned for independence’

Speakers at a ceremony yesterday stressed the need for state recognition of artists and writers who campaigned for independence, which bolstered Bangladesh's fight for liberation.

While freedom fighters fought the enemies on the battlefield, such indirect contributions were also significant for the country's independence, they said.

The ceremony was organised by the Liberation War Museum at its auditorium in the capital's Agargaon in which eminent citizens donated war-time memorabilia to the museum, maintaining social-distancing and health guidelines.

Eminent citizens included war crimes researcher Shahriar Kabir, rights activist Sultana Kamal and Prof Anisuzzaman's wife Siddiqua Zaman.

Shahriar Kabir handed over seven oil paintings on the Liberation War from his personal collection.

The artworks were painted by noted artists Mustafa Monowar, Debdas Chakraborty, Abul Barok Alvi, Biren Shome, Ranjit Kumar Neogi, Pranesh Mandal, and Nitun Kundu.

The artworks depict the horrors of genocide committed by the Pakistan army and its collaborators,

Shahriar Kabir said. Hopefully, the new generation will learn more about the genocide from the paintings, he added.

He highlighted although this struggle for independence through art and literature was effective and powerful, there has been no recognition of it in the government narrative.

Sultana Kamal contributed a letter written by her mother, poet Sufia Kamal, during the Liberation War.

Mentioning her mother's role and women's contribution during the war, Kamal said while most mothers only let their sons join the war, the poet allowed two of her daughters to fight for independence.

At the ceremony, Siddiqua Zaman donated several books on the Liberation War written and collected by Prof Anisuzzaman.