[Attachment(s) from Ripan Biswas included below]
Dear Editor, Hope you are doing well and thanks for publishing my previous write ups. This is an article titled "Bangladesh should stand as a grateful nation". I will be highly honoured if you publish this article. I apprecite your time to read this article. Thanks Have a nice time With Best Regards Ripan Kumar Biswas New York, U.S.A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangladesh should stand as a grateful nation Ripan Kumar Biswas Ripan.Biswas@yahoo.com Every year on June 6, world leaders including U.S., England, France, Australia, Canada and veterans gathered along the beach in Normandy, France, to commemorate D-Day to thank those courage souls, who risked lives for a cause greater than themselves, defeated overwhelming odds in defying the Nazi defenses and capturing a tiny but vital sliver of French soil by nightfall. Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart. Bangladesh has had many difficult days in its history and most of them have made the country stronger and more resilient. The Bangladesh liberation war witnessed widespread atrocities committed mainly on the Bengali population of East Pakistan, at a level that Bangladeshis maintain is one of the worst genocides in history. Difference in religious standpoints in the then East and West Pakistan, economic exploitation towards East Pakistan, conspiracy to uproot Bengali language and nationalism, impact of cyclone in East Pakistan in 1970, dominating political attitude by West Pakistani leaders, military preparation in East Pakistan, Bangobondhu's speech of March 7, and finally the mass killing of March 25, apparently triggered the independence war in Bangladesh. Every Bangladeshi in the then time was expected to involve in the war. A man fighting for his own country, no doubt, is an act of rare bravery, but it becomes unusual when an alien fighting side by side with the sons of the soil. People, who were not in the course of such sufferings and were foreign nationals during the liberation war in Bangladesh, but felt the acute need to make the world aware of the extent of genocide and took part directly or indirectly in the war, are really highly respected and deserve heartiest gratitude. But the governments in the past never took any initiative to thank those brave soldiers who put their lives, emotions, and supports along with general people to form an independent Bangladesh. They deserve the recognition out of decency, out of moral obligation, and out of gratitude as the people of Bangladesh owe this to them. No nation that stubbornly declines to honor the martyrs, respect the soldiers and care for the veterans can ever aspire to be counted amongst the great nations. It's a pleasant news that the government is going to honour foreign organisations, journalists, singers, politicians, and poets who stood beside Bangladesh and helped to defend the ideals and principles of liberty and justice during the Liberation War. In addition, State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ministry Capt (retd) ABM Tajul Islam informed the Parliament replying to a call attention notice of Awami League lawmaker Abul Kalam Azad on January 18, 2010 that the government is trying to reach and bring each and everyone who were with Bangladesh and their family members to Dhaka to honor them on the occasion of Victory Day 2010. Lawmakers present in the parliament irrespective their party values welcomed the government's move. The total number of freedom fighters during Bangladesh War of Liberation was not recorded anywhere, but according to the Bangladesh government in exile, the total number of freedom fighters was 105,000, which includes members of 11 sectors, Mujib Bahini, Kader Bahini, and Hemeyet Bahini while the Minister ABM Tajul Islam confirmed that 210,581 freedom fighters joined the liberation war. Many of them came forward to liberate Bangladesh willingly or unwillingly, because it was their country. But W.A.S. Ouderland, Bir Protik (4th highest gallantry award in Bangladesh), who was actually a Dutch citizen and was posted as the CEO of Bata operation in the then East Pakistan on the eve of the War of Liberation in Bangladesh, never thought that he would train and assist the freedom fighters to create an independent Bangladesh rather putting his attention to increase the volume of sales of his company. Brutal repression and occupation of unarmed Bangladeshis by the Pakistani occupation army reminded Ouderland of the similar brutalities perpetrated by the Nazis in occupied Europe. He was not the only one, who fully appreciated the legitimacy of Bangladeshi resistance against the brute forces of occupation, but there were several others, who felt the same ideology and directly or indirectly took part in the war. Although Ouderland was the only foreign national to have been honored with gallantry award "Bir Pratik" for his outstanding contribution to the war of liberation, but there were thousands of foreign nationals who had supported Bangladesh in many form and fashion during liberation war. They had raised funds, made posters, flyers, joined in rallies, wrote articles, raised awareness, and sang songs. They also gave shelters and words of comfort to those individuals who had disowned their nationality from Pakistan and had no country to call their own for nine months. These individuals did what they could out of their loves for humanities and had shown their utmost disgust against the inhuman atrocities and genocide against the people of Bangladesh. George Harrison and Rabi Shankar brought the attention of the world to what was happening in Bangladesh during the independence war through their concert in New York in 1971. Without their effort, much of the suffering endured by the Bangladeshi people at the time would have gone unnoticed. Their concert for Bangladesh raised money for war-affected people with performances by Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, and Bob Dylan. On the other hand, former Senator Ted Kennedy (MA-D) bravely exposed the plight of millions of Bangladeshi refugees in India during the liberation war. As a chairman of the then US senate's refugee committee, Kennedy tried to persuade the US to allocate funds for the Bangladeshi refugees in India. With unprecedented support of India, it became easier to the local heroes to form an independent Bangladesh. The then Indian Government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi provided shelter, food, clothing, and medical aid for 10 million refugees. They helped freedom fighters with training, arms, and ammunitions, campaigned for release of Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and mobilized international public opinion in favor of independence of Bangladesh. According to the former chief of the Indian army's eastern command Lt Gen (retd) JFR Jacob, 1400 Indian troops were killed and 4000 wounded during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. Thanks make a difference. Gratitude or thankfulness or appreciation is one of the most fundamental human emotions. When we appreciate and support the deeds of others we feel good and encourage others to feel the same. Remembering the history gives us strength. It gives us the opportunity to rise above the pettiness of individual desire, and to strive for something greater -- the same vision of a great nation which drove these brave souls forward to protect and serve when duty called. It's late, but it's always good to be grateful. As a grateful nation, Bangladesh should remember those great foreign friends who have fought for them, who have led by example with exemplary lives, whose wisdom and courage Bangladesh should incite in these trying times to suss out the best answers for a nation whose troubles may dishearten for their density. Tuesday, January 19, 2010, New York Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New York |
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