The Daily Star (TDS): What sparked your interest in researching the events of 1971 in Bangladesh, particularly the connection to Australia, which had largely remained obscure before your investigation?

The War of Liberation in 1971 commenced late on the night of March 25th, as the Pakistani army initiated a genocidal campaign from all its cantonments, aiming to seize control of cities amidst the growing resistance movement.

We were returning via Fazlul Haque Avenue. Islamabad had three roads named after A.K. Fazlul Haque, Khwaja Nazimuddin, and Suhrawardy.

In the wake of the ‘Mountbatten Plan’ on June 3, 1947, which set the date of independence for August 14 of the same year, British India was slated to be divided into two dominions: Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Over the last four decades, commemorative writings about the liberation war have established themselves as a separate genre of writing in the literary scene in Bangladesh.

The following are 7 monuments that people can easily visit this Swadhinata Dibosh or The Independence Day, to reconnect with history.

Ekushey Padak-winning musician Azam Khan is regarded as the pioneer of Bangla pop music. He was not only the first pop superstar of Bangladesh, but he was also a freedom fighter who valiantly fought for the independence of the country. Today, on his 74th birth anniversary, this article chronicles this maestro's life, tracing his journey from the Liberation War until his death on June 5, 2011.

After 52 years, do we practise our founding principles?

We don’t worry about freeing everyone anymore; we only think of ourselves.

Would it be too much to ask you/ To forgive me for the carnal sin I did not commit?

The innovative activity, fostered and curated by former Cultural Affairs Minister and eminent cultural personality, Asaduzzaman Noor has commenced recently with hundreds of child artists painting the roadside walls of Dhaka city.

Mehta also directed the documentary film Dateline Bangladesh based on her time stationed in Bangladesh during the war.

Krishnendu Bose’s directorial “Bay of Blood” is a searing feature documentary, a gripping narrative that takes you on a journey through the heart-wrenching history of Bangladesh’s birth, unearthing the chilling truths of a genocide that echoed across the ages.

The Vortex is a collage of selfless acts to help victims of the Bhola cyclone and the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.

Participants, including the show’s hosts and guests, picked up discarded pebbles, photo frames, children’s artwork, and other knick knacks—all fragile things collected and displayed by the author. 

To understand the attitude of the adversaries of the Liberation War, I went to collect the data for this book and found that Pakistanis are defending themselves.

It was around 11:00am on May 20, 1971.

Jamal Hasan and his three teammates decided to go on a goodwill mission for the fledgling state to thank the people of the world for supporting their Liberation War.

Ekattorer Dinguli forces one to acknowledge the dire reality of ethnic and religious violence, and the harsh legacy of colonial oppression and divide that has ruptured the fabric of the South Asian subcontinent since 1947.

Operation Jackpot was the first—and allegedly best—campaign of naval commandos during the Liberation War of 1971, a deadly blow against the Pakistani invasion forces carried out on August 16, 1971.