Preparatory work took over 18 months, and on a stormy evening a third generation child of martyr family inaugurated the museum igniting the eternal flame at the front of the museum.

The museum authorities along with the masses, who stood by them till it mission was accomplished, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the museum on Wednesday.

Sara Zaker, Founder Member, Board of Trustees, Liberation War Museum, said: "We began this journey with the objective of informing and enlightening young generations on the true history of the Liberation War and increase their awareness and consciousness of our nationality. We feel they should know about the violation of human rights during the time of the war."

The museum seems to have achieved this goal. A visitor from Dhaka University, Moumita Rahman, said: "The museum has portrayed the Liberation War and the brutality on Bangalees by Pakistani Army so vividly that the people who did not witness the war can feel the agony and pain the nation went through in 1971."

Dr. Sarwar Ali, Trustee and Member Secretary of the museum, said, "Initially we were a little worried about people's reaction and their cooperation when we started the museum. But their all-out support in providing memorabilia and other items to the museum was overwhelming".

The number of the primary resources, memorabilia at the museum is 14,719 including 3,336 photographs, 7,738 newspaper clippings, 2,000 documents and 1,644 items used by the freedom fighters, martyrs -- all of which have come from the martyrs' families and common people, he added.

An outreach programme was initiated in 1997 to enlighten the new generation on the detail history of the country's independence. Under this programme, 75,281 students of 284 schools and colleges of Dhaka city visited the museum.

In 2004, through mobile museum the comprehensive project entitled "Project to educate students on history of the Liberation War and ideas of Human Rights, Peace and Harmony" was started where 1,11,998 students of nine towns and 61 districts participated.

There were 2,976 eyewitness accounts collected by students that were submitted to the museum's archive and will be soon available online.

"We have got to know from across the country many unknown and untold stories of bravery and heroism of freedom fighters from this project," Dr Ali said.

"The museum did not deviate from its goal to project unbiased and truthful account of the struggle that culminated in the emergence of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971." he added.

He cited some problems the museum is going through at the moment. "Because of the paucity of space in the rented premises, only 1,306 objects can be displayed at a time. We also have to take special measures to project the objects from the varying climatic conditions of the country," Sarwar said.

"We hope to buy a piece of land by this December where we can build our own museum," he added.

A freedom fighter, Muhammad Abdul Mannan Mia, from Sylhet came to visit the museum. He was overwhelmed.

"In 1971 I was a student of the engineering university. I attended the historic meeting of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Race Course on March 7. I witnessed the first announcement of victory; I participated in the slogan and took an oath to fight for our freedom. Visiting the museum reminds me of the days of glory that I was a part of," said a proud Mannan.

Nurul Islam, son of a freedom fighter Muhammad Ali of Sunamganj, expressed his gratitude to the museum authorities for portraying the bravery of his father. An emotional Nurul Islam said: "When the people have begun to forget the supreme sacrifices of the martyrs, the Liberation War Museum has paid tribute to my father. It has given us the power to turn our grief into a strength."