DU CORRESPONDENT

The country will need to be united once again for international recognition of the genocide carried out by the Pakistani army during the 1971 Liberation War, said speakers at a meeting yesterday.

Activists and prominent researchers met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam at the official residence of DU Vice Chancellor to make a strategic plan to get the recognition.

Demand for the recognition is set to be placed before the United Nations Human Rights Council in its 50th session, scheduled to be held between June 13 and July 8 in Geneva.

BASUG, an organisation of the Bangladeshi diaspora, submitted a written statement in this regard, said Mahboob Zaman, organiser of it’s Bangladesh chapter.

“Several organisations are working for the cause. All the documents and data regarding the genocide are scattered, which we need to collect and organise,” said Mahboob, also a freedom fighter.

“Some separate activities, including establishing the Liberation War Museum and the Genocide Museum, have been done so far. But we need something bigger and more collective to try and achieve international recognition.”

“We have already started our work but the agenda needs to be national. We are trying to engage universities, filmmakers and Bangladeshi diaspora communities,” he added.