Demand to declare 1971 killings as “genocide” at EWU discussion

Prominent persons of the country demanded that the massacre by the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh in 1971 be declared a "genocide" in a discussion program at East West University (EWU). This demand was strengthened by the speech of Mofidul Haque, Trustee of Liberation War Museum, Prof. Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, Director of Center for Genocide Studies of Dhaka University, Prof. Dr M. M. Shahidul Hassan, EWU VC, and Prof. Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, former PS to Bangabandhu and Chief Advisor of EWU at the newly constructed "Manzur Elahi" auditorium of EWU on February 1. 

Speakers said that the killings organised in Bangladesh in 1971 were cruel and terrible. More than 30 lakh people have been killed there, 5-6 lakh women have been brutally raped and more than 1 crore people have become refugees. Similar incidents have occurred in Bosnia, Rwanda, which has been recognised as genocide by the United Nations. Even though more crimes were committed in Bangladesh in 1971 than that, it still has not received that recognition. The speakers demanded recognition of genocide from the UN and also urge to the new generation to speak out through more research and writings to achieve that acknowledgement.

Documentaries on the liberation war "Stop Genocide" and "Janajudda 71" were screened at the event. Apart from this, patriotic music performed by the students of EWU. Faculty members, officials, staff and students of the university participated in the event.