Feature

Echoes from the Liberation War'71

Shushmita Ahmed

THE nation is going to venerate its 38th year of the victory with great esteem and fervour. There is a saying that the power of the collective memory is so strong that it can pass on from generation to generation for years to come. It is usually the case that when grievous crimes have been committed against a person, somehow, somewhere along the way, the perpetrators will be punished. If we look at the example of World War II we can see that the soldiers from Nazi Germany are still paying for the crimes which prove that no matter how long it takes, justice will inevitably prevail. In case of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, however, one cannot give any guarantees. Not only did thousands of people willingly give up their lives for an independent nation, many mothers had to witness the brutal deaths of their sons, while others, to this day, did not have the comfort of burying the bodies of their loved ones. These are the people who have sacrificed their families for the birth of a free nation.

We, are greatly indebted to their sacrifice. Three decades have passed but the war criminals are yet to be punished for their heinous crime. So, we, the young generation are bearing a huge responsibility to stand up and act strongly against such injustice.

(The writer is a student of 3rd year, Dept. of Law, University of Chittagong.)