The Liberation War has been politicised for so long that many young Bangladeshis are growing up confused about what freedom really means, speakers said yesterday.
They also called for a more open, inclusive, and rights-based understanding of independence.
They made the remarks at the unveiling of the Independence Day issue of Tiffin, a children’s and youth magazine, and a discussion titled “The aspiration for independence through the eyes of the younger generation”, held at the Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in Dhaka.
“If we do not understand individual freedom, it will be difficult to understand the collective freedom we speak of afterwards,” said Saimum Parvez, special assistant to the BNP chairperson’s Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee.
He said independence alone was not enough if citizens did not enjoy freedom of expression, civic liberty, and protection from arbitrary restrictions.
He also cautioned against attempts to pitch the July uprising against the Liberation War.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said the history of the Liberation War had too often been confined to a single narrative.
“We are trying to lock the history of the Liberation War into a fixed frame, where nothing can be said beyond it,” he said.
Zahed said the key issue was whether the state allowed room for open historical inquiry, adding that the struggle to ensure equality, dignity, social justice, rule of law, and fundamental rights remains unfinished.
“We have come to a point where many people do not even know what their aspirations should be, or what they should be asking from the state,” he said, adding that freedom must also mean the right to live without intimidation.
Bulbul Siddiqi, professor at North South University, echoed concerns over politicisation and called for an evidence-based approach to Liberation War history in research and textbooks.
Network for People’s Action member Anik Roy said independence would remain incomplete without economic security, jobs, healthcare, and education.
Filmmaker Syeda Nilima Dola said the Liberation War was “a shared past” but had been used over the last 15 years as a one-party political tool.
Journalist Rafsan Galib said the values of independence -- equality, human dignity, and social justice -- are clear but remain unrealised in practice.
Saiyed Abdullah said freedom should mean a country where people of different beliefs and identities can coexist without fear.
Bangladesh Open University Associate Professor Adnan Arif Salim said freedom should also be reflected in labour rights, dignity, and safety.
Earlier, Tiffin Editor Sujaul Islam Sumon said the magazine aims to encourage children and teenagers to read beyond textbooks and engage with history, literature, science, and other subjects.
Md Abul Hashem, professor at Bangladesh Agricultural University, and Rumana Paarveen Annie, assistant professor at Dhaka University, also spoke at the programme, which was conducted by Sadik Mahmud.
