This is a good initiative.
Lets hope that Awami League 2010 behaves differently to all governments, including Awami League 1972, and conducts an actual count of the war dead. Of course whatever Mujib says is the gospel truth for many but it may not be enough on the international stage.
The world, especially Pakistan, has never taken seriously our claims of 3 million dead. 3 lakh dead still constitutes a genocide.
I hope the mass murderers of 1971 are brought to trial. And I hope an international inquiry is set up into just how many of our people were killed directly by Pakistanis and Rajakars.
And I hope the actual dead is 3 laks and not 3 million - firstly because a smaller loss of life is better than a biger loss of life. And secondly because maybe, just maybe, more of us will realise that much of what we stand on is rotting garbage.
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Farida Majid <farida_majid@...> wrote:
>
>
> To all ALOCHONA members:
>
> Please circulate the following Press Release to the deshi Bangla and English print and electronic
> news outlets.
> It is important fpr us to gather sympathy and good will from deshi, protibeshi, or bideshi friends,
> just as we did 39 years ago, NOW, as we start trial works at the International War Crimes Tribunal
> to seek justice for the Genocide 1971.
>
> Prof. Farida Majid
>
>
>
> Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:50:18 -0700
> From: smullah41@...
> Subject: Fw: Testimony of Sixty event: Program & PRESS RELEASE
> To: akkuchoudhury71@...; oli@...; hasanferdous1971@...; sarawarharun@...; sarwarharun@...; minhaj23@...; minhaz23@...; tajulimam@...; razib_stv@...; fahimnur@...; farida_majid@...; Ziauddin.Ahmed@...; bangalee@...; banglapatrikausa@...; bzkhasru@...; bzkhasru@...; ibutsab@...; janmobhumi@...; jyotipadutta@...; kamallohani1934@...; khabor@yahoogroups.com; lutfunnahar777@...; lutfunnahar777@...; mithunahmed@...; mithunahmed@...; mithunny@...; mithunny@...; modaktabla@...; Mohidur.Rahman@...; muktadhara@...; muktomona@yahoogroups.com; mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com; mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com; niniwahed@...; nykiron@...; odhomrana@...; purabibasu@...; purabidutta@...; razib_stv@...; reepia@...; salekin22@...; sbiswas1@...; arif.ullah@...; arif_ullah@...; asifllh@...; atiqueullah@...; zahmed@...; ziatoronto@...; smullah41@...
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> Dear Friends,
>
> We now have finalized our program for the Testimony of Sixty event on October 21 in front of the United Nations. Permission for holding the event has been acquired by Mr. Oli Mohammad from the police precinct. It has been decided that there will be a gathering on that date at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on 47th Street between 1st and 2ndnd Avenues in New York City. It will beging at 10 A.M. and continue to 4 P.M, the peak time being 12-2 P.M. Tributes will be paid to the martyrs of 1971 Bangladesh and speakers will draw attention to the need for bringing to justice the persons responsible for the genocide and express support to Bangladesh's current government's initiatives in this regard. Posters depicting the genocide, atrocities, massacre and uprooting of millions of people in Bangladesh in 1971 committed and caused by Pakistan army and its collaborators will be displayed at the site. Such posters are available with Mr. Tanvir Rana. Flyers in English will be distributed among the passersby. One flyer will include a very brief introduction to the events of 1971 Bangladesh, followed by the full text of the 'Testimony of Sixty' statement issued on October 21, 1971 by sixty leading citizens of the world deploring and calling international community's attention to the genocide being committed in Bangladesh. Haroon and I discussed the possible idea of printing it as a trifold. If this can be done, then the first and last page of the six-page brochure can have pictures of killings and uprootings. There may be another one-sheet flyer describing the events that took place in 1971 in Bangladesh, the initiative of the current government to bring to trial those responsible for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Bangladesh in 1971 and the on-going efforts to build a permanent and fitting museum in Dhaka to commemorate the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. Mr. Oli and Mr. Sarwar Haroon are requested to finalize and print the tri-fold and flyer. Separetely, I am issuing a press release on our October 21 New York event. As agreed before, Mr. Minhaj Ahmed is requested to circulate it among the Bangladeshi media both in America and in Bangladesh. Besides, he is being requested to forward the release to all our compatriots in the cause urging them to come, join us along with their family and friends at the October 21 event in front of the United Nations. Besides, all of us who are involved with the October 21 event in front of the United Nations are urged to contact by e-mail and phone and through various internet sites as many people and groups as possible requesting them to participate at the event.
>
> Thank you all,
>
> Syed M. Ullah
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> The Press Release
>
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> A day-long event commemorating the historic document known as the 'Testimony of Sixty', a statement issued On October 21, 1971 by sixty outstanding citizens of the world including Mother Theresa and Senator Edward Kennedy deploring and calling international attention to the genocide being committed at the time in Bangladesh by Pakistani armed forces and their cohorts will take place this year on Thursday, October 21 in front of the U.N. Headqurters in New York City (Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 47th Street off 1st Avenue).
>
> The event will commence at 10 A.M. and will wound up at 4 P.M. but the peak time will be 12-2 P.M. An elaborate program has been drawn up for the event which will include speeches, poster displays and flyer distribution, among others.
>
> The observance of the anniversary of this Testimony has acquired added significance in the light of the current initiative of the Government of Bangladesh to bring to justice persons responsible for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Bangladesh in 1971. There have been persistent denials by groups and persons responsible that any such crimes were committed and like in the past they are engaged even now in an elaborate, well organized and well funded campaign at home and abroad to sabotage and derail the trial effort. They have powerful allies within and outside the country.
>
> We urge all who believe in the cuase of truth and justice and want to see that those responsible for commiting acts of genocide, massacre, rape and other crimes against humanity in Bangladesh in 1971 should be brought to justice to come and join the this October 21 rally in front of the United Nations and make their voice heard both nationally and internationally.
>
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