The Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa on Monday observed Genocide Day 2024 with solemn reverence.
High Commissioner Dr Khalilur Rahman presided over a special discussion meeting commemorating the occasion at the High Commission's auditorium.
All officers and officials of the High Commission were present during the discussion event.
The proceedings commenced with the observance of a minute of silence in remembrance of 3 million martyrs who sacrificed their lives during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
Subsequently, messages from the president and prime minister were read out by officers of the High Commission.
A documentary capturing the essence of Genocide Day was also screened.
The high commissioner said that the genocide perpetrated by the Pakistani invading forces during the war stands as one of the most brutal atrocities in history.
He recounted the implementation of “Operation Searchlight” on March 25, 1971, which unleashed a wave of violence by Pakistani occupation forces resulting in the deaths of 3 million people and the dishonour of over 2 million women over the nine months of the war.
The high commissioner underscored the ongoing efforts of the High Commission towards securing recognition for the 1971 genocide in Canada.
He cited collaborative efforts between the High Commission and the Bangabandhu Centre for Bangladesh Studies in Canada (BCBS), which resulted in the decision of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg, Canada, for the “Permanent Display of the Exhibits of the Genocide” as well as the permanent display of a portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in their “Breaking the Silence Gallery.”
He expressed optimism that the commissioning of the permanent display by the CMHR would take place officially in September/October.