Seminar on Bangladesh genocide of 1971 held in Canada

A day-long seminar titled, "Remember and Recognize: The Case of Bangladesh Genocide of 1971" was organised at the Human Rights Museum in Winipeg, Canada recently. 

The seminar was organised jointly by the High Commission for Bangladesh in Canada and the Bangabandhu Centre for Bangladesh Studies (BCBS) in Canada, Liberation War Museum, Bangladesh, Genocide Studies Centre, University of Dhaka, Refugees Resilience Centre and Rotary Club Canada, said a press release. 

The seminar was held in a hybrid format where the virtual discussion session was held where Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, MP, spoke through a video massage as the chief guest and Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary) Ambassador  Masud Bin Momen spoke from New York virtually as a special guest.

High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Canada and the Chief Patron of the BCBS in  Canada Dr Khalilur Rahman and Dr Kawser Ahmed, chief coordinator of the BCBS, Canada, gave introductory remarks.

Dr Gregory Stanton of Genocide Watch gave the keynote speech.

Speakers at the seminar gave a verbal illustration of the Bangladesh Genocide which pictures the heinous crimes committed in Bangladesh in 1971.

Joining virtually, Liberation War Museum Trustee Mofidul Hoque explained the case of genocide in Bangladesh in 1971.

His statement was followed by presentations by post-genocide generation researchers.

Foreign Minister Dr Momen said that the genocide committed in 1971 by the Pakistani military is one of the most heinous crimes in human history.

"We do not know of another instance of such barbarism of such intensity and mayhem," he said.

He regretted that the Bangladesh genocide is yet to be recognised by the international community to the extent the genocide warrants. He added that on 25 March 1971 the Pakistan junta undertook the cruel and enormous mayhem of innocent civilian people of Bangladesh in order

to suppress the nation's democratic aspirations by sheer force of fear and terror. He added that Bangladesh declared 25 March as Genocide Day and Bangladesh is working for getting the date recognized as the International Genocide Day by all the countries in the world.

Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen said that 1971 has been the most significant year in the history of Bangladesh.

"In one hand, Bangladesh achieved her independence in this very year. On the other hand, the nation experienced the ugliest chapter of brutality, atrocities, indiscriminate killing, raping,  looting, and arson to achieve independence. And the world witnessed another

genocide within three decades of the Second World War," he said. 

Some members of the victim families of the Genocide also spoke at the seminar.