Preserving a painful past

Madhab Chandra Bairagi and Sourav Goldar were among the more than 500 people who were brutally killed by the Pakistani Army men at Badamtala area in Batiaghata upazila of Khulna on May 19, 1971.

Their blood-stained clothes, among other pieces of evidence of the mass killing, are on display at the 1971: Genocide-Torture Archive and Museum in Khulna city.

Bangladesh witnessed one of the worst instances of genocide and atrocities ever conducted in the history of mankind during the country's Liberation War in 1971.

To preserve the evidence of the merciless torture and massacre inflicted on the people of Bangladesh by Pakistani forces and their local collaborators -- Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams -- the museum began its journey on May 17, 2014.

At present, it is the lone such museum not only in Bangladesh, but in all of South Asia.

Initially set up temporarily at a rented house in the city's Moilapota area, the museum relocated to its permanent place at South Central Road on February 26 this year on 21-decimal land allotted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

A six-storey building for the museum is being constructed by the Public Works Department in Khulna, under supervision of the Bangladesh National Museum, at a cost of Tk 32.22 crore.

"Khulna had witnessed some of the worst atrocities in 1971, including the Chuknagar and Gallamari mass killings. That is why the museum was established in Khulna," said renowned historian Prof Muntassir Mamoon, who inaugurated the museum in 2014.

"The museum aims to educate people, especially youths, about the genocide committed by the Pakistan Army and their local collaborators in 1971," Prof Mamoon, also chairman of the trustee board that runs the institution, added.

The archive has records of over mass killings 18,481 spots, 888 killing grounds, 1,313 mass graves, and 1,174 torture cells in 42 districts, said Rokonuzzaman Bablu, deputy curator of the museum.

"Besides, 192 types of evidence, over 10,000 pictures, 10,300 books on the war, and 2,000 videos are kept here, while 65 memorial plaques on spots of killing and torture have already been set up in and around Khulna city. The museum has also published 148 booklets and 130 genocide torture indexes focused on the killing grounds," he also said.

A sales centre has been opened to sell books and souvenirs at the museum, Rokonuzzaman added.

Visiting the museum recently, this correspondent saw many items used by renowned personalities who were martyred in 1971 have been kept in its archive after being donated by their family members.

The items include Munir Chowdhury's panjabi; Shahidullah Qaiser's ties and diaries; BBC correspondent Nizamuddin Ahmed's coat; Selina Parvin's pen and cloth; journalist Sirajuddin Hossain's panjabi, pajama and manuscript; Jahanara Imam's diary, photos, and her handwritten documents; Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta's book; Dr Alim Chowdhury's visiting card, pen, lamp, and diary; a letter from the then prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed to his wife written on the white part of an empty cigarette box; among others.

Anadi Sarkar, 78, of Chaksholmari village under Bathiaghata upazila, who fought in Sector-8 and led at least 60 freedom fighters from Khulna region as their local commander, visited the museum recently with his granddaughter Adrija Sarkar, a third grader.

"Although my granddaughter is familiar with the history of our independence, I was unable to show her visual evidence until we visited the museum. I also had a walk down memory lane to those whirlwind days of 1971 when I fought in the Liberation War,'' he said.

"While many pieces of evidence have been lost over the years, it is satisfying to see that some still exist and are being preserved here," he also said, adding that initiative should be taken to keep audio-video records of interviews of freedom fighters who are still alive, which will enrich the museum's archive.

In 2017, a "Research Centre on Genocide-Torture and Liberation War" was also set up under the museum's trust. At present, the centre offers two post-graduate certificate courses on Liberation War and Genocide, conducted every year.

Anti-liberation forces and Pakistani-minded people are still vigilant in the country, working on their agenda against the nation and its independence. The museum will remind people of the bloodbath this nation endured to earn its freedom and alert them against these evil forces, said Prof Mamoon.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and cultural affairs minister are playing key roles in running the institution," he added.

The museum is open to visitors daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm except on Mondays. On Friday, it is open from 3:00pm to 7:00pm. The entry fee is Tk 10 for students, Tk 20 for the public, and Tk 50 for foreign nationals.