Briton Julian Francis, one of the "Friends of Liberation War" of Bangladesh who helped the refugees to take shelter in India during the 1971 war, said that music helped the refugees to overcome their depression during the war, as they were oppressed by barbaric Pakistani soldiers.
“On-call doctors at the camp during the time told my team members to buy musical instruments for the refugees, so that these instruments can soothe them and steer their minds away from the thoughts of the genocides carried out by Pakistani soldiers. Soon, we started buying 100 harmoniums and 100 tablas,” he recalled at a two-day program celebrating the ‘Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh and Bangabandhu's birth centenary at Bangla Academy in Dhaka on Saturday.
He said: “After the war, Bangabandhu asked my opinion on what was necessary to rebuild Bangladesh. I told him that I had already ordered £250,000 worth of CI sheets in India, on behalf of Oxfam, for a house rebuilding program. I stated further that I thought bridge building and replacement and repairs of ferries were more suited to bilateral and multilateral aid.
"However, Bangabandhu emphasized that ferries will always be important for the people of Bangladesh, and then asked me to discuss it with Bangladesh Inland Waterways Authority officials and also pursue the matter with Oxfam," he added
He further said: "After that, Oxfam was able to purchase three ferries -- Kamini, Karabi, and Kasturi -- and also helped with the maintenance of many ferries."
Muntassir Mamoon, Dhaka University’s history professor and chairman of the "1971: Genocide-Torture Archive & Museum Trust," discussed the abominable nature of the genocide carried out against Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War, and urged Myanmar to punish their military for the ethnic cleansing and brutality inflicted upon millions of Rohingyas.
“Myanmar army should be brought under trial. Even those countries supporting Myanmar for the sake of their natural resources are supporters of genocides,” he added.
Mamoon stated: “The Bangla language should be prioritized; young people should be taught about the history of Bangladesh in Bangla.”
Shahriar Kabir, president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (EGDNC), urged that the history of the Liberation War be preserved, and no entity should distort the history for any personal gain.
Manash Ghosh from India, Khin Zaw Win from Myanmar, Ferhat Atik from Turkey, Anna Cocchiarella from Italy and Sumaly Kum from Cambodia also spoke about Bangladesh Liberation war.
