To learn about liberation war

Center for the Study of Genocide and Justice (CSGJ) of Liberation War Museum (LWM) organised its 2nd Winter School on “Genocide, Justice & the New Generation” from December 17-24, 2015 at Proshika HRDC, Manikganj. Total 40 students of various disciplines from 12 universities and professionals including academics, judges, lawyers and media personalities participated in this residential workshop.

Resource persons in the school included numbers of faculties of law, history and social science from the USA, Australia and Bangladesh. Julian Francis, “Friends of Liberation War Honour” awardee; Amy Fagin, Executive Director of Beyond Genocide; Professor M Rafiqul Islam of Macquarie Law School; Chief Investigator Md. Abdul Hannan Khan and Prosecutor Dr. Tureen Afroz of International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD); war baby and descendants of martyred intellectuals spoke in different sessions of the school. The school was coordinated by Ms. Umme Wara and Mr. Khair Mahmud.

Through interactive discussion, brainstorming, group exercise, field visit, documentary film screening, theatre art and mock trial, the participants explored the concept of genocide from the perspective of Bangladesh and beyond.

While emphasising on the dissemination of liberation war history to new generation, the school also focused on the trauma and sufferings of Birangonas and war babies as well as their effective reparation and social acceptance for ensuring justice and rejuvenation of Bangladesh.

The participants visited battle fields of Dhamrai. They interacted with the local freedom fighters who shared their experience of liberation war and victims who narrated their horrific stories and havoc that were wreaked by barbaric Pakistani army and their collaborators in 1971. Participating in non-judicial hearing activity was one of the learning experiences for the participants who performed the roles of commission, prosecutors, defence counsels, victims, and civil society-media.

Preparing a Declaration of Intent the participants pledge: to conduct research and disseminate the history of liberation war among common people and new generation through internet and social media; to discard the misconceptions regarding ICT-BD trial.

The closing ceremony was honoured with the presence of eminent writer Professor Dr. Muhammed Zafar Iqbal; Mofidul Hoque, Trustee of LWM and Director of CSGJ; Ziauddin Tariq Ali, Trustee of LWM.

The participants, volunteers and residential mentors were given certificates upon completion of the programme. Iftekhar Sahariar of Rajshahi University and Mahboob Sobhani of CMM Court jointly received the Best Performance Award while S M Pizuar Hossain of BRAC School of Law received the Academic Excellence Award and Laila Tasmia of Dhaka University received the Best Performance in Non Judicial Hearing Award.

The event covered by Golam Kibria Sourav, student of LLM, University of Dhaka.