To transform the grief of March 25, 1971 into the strength of moving forward, thousands of people, including government officials and cultural figures, on Friday lit candles in the capital’s Manik Mia Avenue to mark the historic day.
Grameenphone, a leading telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh, organised the event titled “Alor Jatra” that began at 10:30pm.
Renowned individuals, along with many who had witnessed the cruelty of the-then Pakistani military on unsuspecting Bangladeshis that dark night four decades ago, shared stories of how the brave Bangladeshis ultimately survived, and how they went beyond despair and fear to earn their freedom after a nine-month long war.
Speaker of Jatiyo Sangshad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, State Minister of Post and Telecommunication Division Tarana Halim, Bangladeshi poet and writer Syed Shamsul Haq, renowned drama actor Syed Nasir Uddin Yusuf, poet Asad Chowdhury, media personality Faridur Reza Sagar, journalist, media personality and agriculture development activist Shykh Seraj, media personality Aly Zaker, and writer and journalist Imdadul Haq Milan were present at the event. Actress Shomi Kaiser hosted the program.
Grameenphone CEO Rajeev Sethi said: “Over the last 44 years, Bangladesh has defied all odds and flourished as a potential, developing country in the world. We have to keep these possibilities alive. Initiative like Alor Jatra is our inspiration to go beyond. This is the key message of our initiative.”
