Such a person of substance he was that all his students and junior staff would follow him as a role model, while his seniors always praised him. He was such a character that none ever spoke any unpleasant word about him. Our dear motherland is privileged and proud to give birth to such brave sons. And I, being the third generation of Bangladesh, now realize how much we have lost.

The person I have been describing is the person I admire most, my charismatic grandfather -- Shah Abdul Majid (ex-PSP) and SP of Rajshahi -- who embraced martyrdom in the liberation war of 1971.

I am very much thankful to Allah for giving me birth in a martyr's family, thus enabling me to be a part of the war-stricken memories of 1971. I have known the personal war that the wives and mothers of the martyrs had gone despite 35 years of independence.

Are my fellow citizens of my generation at all aware of the war that 30 lakh martyrs and their families went through only for us? Do their parents tell them what "muktojudhho" is? Do they know of the gruesome killings when the rivers of Bangladesh were flowing with the carcasses of human and animals together or when the rivers were transformed into pools of blood, under the nine months occupation of the Pakistani army?

Hey, my contemporaries, have you ever heard about the appalling torture the womenfolk of that time had gone through in terms of rape, repression, and losing their beloved husbands and sons?

Could we ever perceive and visualize the massacre of innocent people, the cruelty shown by the Pakistanis? Have we ever thought or felt a lust for a sip of water a muktijuddha might have desired with his last breath or the desire for food cooked by his mother?

Muktijuddho can never be explained in a single article.

But are we really enjoying the benefits of being liberated from the wrath of the Pakistani junta or we are still being oppressed, divided and fighting for our own existence on our own soil?

This question looms large in the air of liberated Bangladesh after long 35 years of independence, as still today we could see the defeated forces are trying to destabilize our sweet home by hatching plots against the sovereignty of the nation.

This we could see by the sudden emergence of Islamic militancy, killings of innocent people through bomb blasts, creating a division amongst the peaceful people of our country, posing a serious threat to our culture, independence and violation of human rights.

Did the people of this country ever dream of an independent state at the expense of 30 lakh innocent people. 35 years back we fought unitedly against the Pakistani army to get liberated and establish a "Shonar Bangla."

35 years after, instead of fulfilling our dreams, the soil of our sweet land is continuously being bathed with the blood of her own children, fighting amongst themselves for petty personal gains. Such a tragedy.

For the present situation of Bangladesh I point my finger to my nation's people -- how could we have been so self-centered and acted so selfishly by not contributing even a bit to the nation. We all blame the government, the country, and its people. But did anyone among us come up to make the situation better? No.

And we will never do since we all have forgotten 1971, we have forgotten muktijuddho, we have forgotten the sacrifices of 30 lakhs and their families. Not a bit of patriotism survives within our heart. It's a shame for us. It's a shame for our nation -- do we even realize that? Does anyone even spare a minute to think where the country is heading?

Today, as I was thinking about my grandfather with so many questions in my mind with no answers. But one answer that I have always sought to know: was it worth losing a wise person like my grandfather? Was my family's sacrifice (especially my grandmother's) worth it?

The answer, I fear, may well be "no." It was never worth losing him for the Bangladesh in which we are living today. But I am proud the way he is being respected today and proud to be his granddaughter, and hope that we can build a country where the answer to this question is "yes."

Since my childhood, I have heard many stories of this brave warrior from my grandmother, mother, uncles, and aunts. The unforgettable memories they have cherished in the deep core of their hearts. I was told my grandmother waited long ten years for her beloved husband to come back.

I also heard that she sacrificed all kinds of enjoyment and good things in life for her beloved husband. My grandparents were such a happy couple that my grandmother took many long years to finally realize that her husband would never return. I even heard she avoided all kinds of food that was liked by my grandfather. Such stories are only seen on movies or read about in novels, but this was reality for my grandmother and countless others.

Her only thought in life then was to raise up her four children that her husband left behind. And today she is a proud mother as all her four children are well established and holding respectable as well as responsible positions in their respective fields.

Gradually, as I have been growing, my mother has shared few of her treasured memories with me at times when she grew nostalgic, specially during the months of March and December.

Today I will share one of her memories which made me cry every time I heard it. My mother was the most pampered child of her father and was really loved. The day my grandfather was being taken away, at the very moment he knew that he was never coming back and tears rolled down his eyes, he wanted a handkerchief, and coincidentally my mother was playing with a small piece of white cloth which she kept inside her father's cigarette packet, she was then able to give her father the last piece of gift from her -- the white cloth which her father used as a handkerchief. There are many more memories that I wanted to share, but if I start I can never end.

Last, but not the least, my humble request to all my fellow citizens, please don't forget the war. Know it, and let the future generations know. Let the history of war and patriotism live within every citizen. It is a shame to not know our own history.

The author recently completed her A level examinations.