Feature
Rezaur Rahman
What do we usually do on days like 21st February, 25th march, 26th march or 16th December?
Most of us enjoy on such a holiday; watch TV, hang out, sleep and so on. A few of us watch TV programs specially designed for the day, and even fewer visit the national monuments. But how many of us come forward and organize a program completely of our own, and manifest our passion towards our martyrs? Yes, there are some young hearts who are committed not to ever forget 1971, not to let the older generation complain about how “This young generation has forgotten the roots”, and I feel extremely proud to have one such individual in my Department (Law Department, University of Dhaka).
This year the spirit of 1971 started to spark with the victory of the Bangladesh team in the world cup. In the centre of the campus field, the 4th year students of the law department of Dhaka University hoisted a massive flag of Bangladesh. The flag, and enthusiasm, represented the symbols of our patriotism.
 The students of 1st year were also planning to do something special. The idea filtered out from some students while doing classes under the open sky one day. Some other hardworking students came forward to implement the idea. The output of the dream came out on 25th March, in the afternoon, in a program organized in the Law department.
Now let us introduce these workaholic students. You can term them as 'Ghorer Khey Boner Mosh tarano', but they hardly pay heed to those words. To them, study is not only for getting marks or gaining status in the society. They feel they have a responsibility towards their society. They strongly believe departmentalization of knowledge is itself a barrier in having basic and integrated education and that interaction of knowledge is the root of all developments.
From the bottom of their hearts, they have arranged a study circle in the law department.
It is a common assumption that no organization in the University of Dhaka is out of the nefarious effects of politics. But such is not the case with this organization. Since its birth, it has promised not to be engaged in politics.
On 25th March 2007, the program started in the afternoon in the 4th year classroom. The master of ceremony for the program was Sushmita. Mr. Rabinda Mohon Das (presently working as staff in Jagannath hall) was the special guest. He spoke on what had actually happened on 25th March in Jagannath Hall. He was an eyewitness of that dark night and narrated the tales in his own simple words. Hardly any student there could resist his or her tears.
The revered professors Dr. Mizanur Rahman, Mahbub Morhsed, Gobinda Chandra Mandal, Mr. Mahfuzal Haq and Arif Zamil were present to encourage the students. Mizan sir gave a very enthusiastic speech with the request to keep the flames of 1971 in our works and our dreams. Mahbub Murshed sir described his own memory of the war. A documentary was made by the students, based on an interview by Prof. Gopal Krishna Nath on the horrifying events of Jagannath Hall on 25th March 1971. This depicted the hell that was created by the Pakistani Army. There are many celluloid works on this same topic. But when students who sit beside you in class, who share jhalmuri with you, sketch the same art, the feelings created by them touch the bottom of your heart. Besides this documentary, some famous documentaries were also shown; these were “Shei Ratar Kotha Bolta Eshechi and “The History of Bangladesh”.
These documentaries, speeches and poems gradually took students back to 1971. It brought before their eyes the scream, the gunshots and the bloodshed of 25th March 1971, but instead of being scared they embraced all the flashbacks, as their roots, as their means to building a future.
After the end of the program, when the last rays of sun were fading away, the students started to march towards the mass graveyard in Jagannath Hall holding candles in hand. If you looked from afar, it would appear to you as a procession of lights. That one simple candle symbolized the promise this young students made towards the martyrs and towards themselves they will never forget their roots, they will never let anyone forget it and will move forward cherishing 1971. There is no question of forgiving and forgetting those who wanted to wipe us out, there is no question to compromise about our history, since our history tells us who we are, determines where we have to go.
Perhaps it was a glorious day for the martyrs of Jagannath Hall who sacrificed their lives for us on 25th March. Perhaps the souls that were waiting for justice since 25th March got all the returns through the love and profound respect of generations ahead. We could not hear their voice, but in our minds we could see their satisfied faces, we could feel their healed, relieved souls. The mysterious atmosphere in the candlelight created an unseen bridge between the generation of 1971 who died for us and for whom we are standing tall in the present world. The event ended there, but the bond and the bridge stayed sublime.
This innovative attempt taken by the students of Law Department is beyond any words of praise. The way they returned to 1971 can be a golden inspiration for the other students as well. The inherent message of this endeavor will blossom fully when other departments and other universities will begin to nurture the history of 1971. So our young minds recite
“……. We are all waiting and
Preparing for that day
Which will build a beautiful tomorrow……?”
(Student of Department of Law)
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