National Museum displays liberation war memorabilia

Bangladesh National Museum is displaying a collection of over one hundred liberation war memorabilia at an exhibition underway at the museum’s Nalinikanta Bhattashali Gallery.
The eight-day exhibition, which has been organised marking the Independence Day, gives the visitors a glimpse into the sufferings of the people during the tumultuous days of the liberation war, depicts resolutions and bravery of the freedom fighters and others.
The show displays 65 photographs of different historic events which took place between 1971 and early 1972, 12 weapons that were used in the war, letters written by freedom fighters to their families, posters and books on the liberation war, different local and foreign media coverage of the war and identity cards of razakars and al badrs.
Dr Mashiur Rahman, economic affairs advisor to the prime minister, inaugurated the exhibition on Tuesday. Sammilita Sangskritik Jote president Golam Kuddus, Liberation War Museum trustee Mofidul Hoque and Bangladesh National Museum director general Faizul Latif Chowdhury were present at the inauguration programme.
‘We have recently received a number of photographs documenting the liberation war and weapons that were used by the Indian army during the liberation war from India. We are displaying the memorabilia which we received from India and our own collection of liberation war memorabilia and documents in this exhibition,’ said Faizul Latif Chowdhury.
The photographs take viewers back to the tumultuous days of the liberation war. The photographs show founding president of the country Sheikh Mujibur Rahman giving the historic speech at the then Race Course Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) on March 7, 1971, dead bodies lying on the streets of Dhaka, Brahmanbaria and Dinajpur, refugees crossing into India, freedom fighters taking training in camps, oath-taking of the provisional government of Bangladesh on April 17, 1971, freedom fighters in action, the surrender of the Pakistani Occupation Army on December 16 and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s return to independent Bangladesh on January 10, 1972 after his release from solitary confinement for nine months and a half in a Pakistan prison during the country’s war of independence.
Letters written by freedom fighters to their families, posters and newspapers published in 1971 depicts the days of the war.
Light machine guns, sten guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, anti-tank missile and other weapons that were used by Indian army during the liberation war and photo identity cards of ten members of auxiliary forces of the Pakistan Occupation Army are on display at the show.
‘I am really happy to be here. The displayed collection of liberation war memorabilia gives us a glimpse into the tumultuous days of 1971’, said Rafayat Rayan, a high school student.
The show will remain open for all till March 27.