“We answered the call of the motherland when the country needed us. These cadets, including [Mahfuz] Anam, pioneered the all-Bangladesh officers’ batch of the Bangladesh Army in 1972.”

Maj Gen (retd) Jamil D Ahsan, Bir Protik

On the occasion of The Daily Star’s 35th anniversary celebrations, members of the Bangladesh War Courses Foundation visited the newspaper’s Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam and presented him with a token of appreciation and pride for his role in the 1971 Liberation War.

The token also acknowledged his subsequent service to the country through a highly respected and trusted newspaper like The Daily Star, and his contribution to promoting independent journalism.

Among those present, including retired army officers, were M Abdul Majed; Maj M Abul Hossain (Dr); Col M Aminul Islam; Maj M Atiqur Rahman; Maj Gen Jamil D Ahsan, Bir Protik; Lt Col M Zainul Abedin; Maj Gen Jiban Kanai Das, and Brig Gen Miran Hamidur Rahman.

Speaking on behalf of the group at the event, Maj Gen (retd) Jamil, Bir Protik, described how the “comrades in arms” came to be.

“As the war was prolonged, the then government felt they needed more military leadership... So, they decided to select some people from among the guerrillas to join the commissioned officers’ corps of the army.

“In the first batch, 60 of us were selected to undergo training for officers, and I was one of them. In the second batch, there were 90 more. Anam was in the second batch.”

Maj Gen (retd) Jamil added, “There was no fanfare, no band, no drill ... but we heard the deafening noise of the war to join our comrades, and we went back to the battlefield.”

The two batches underwent an intensive three-month training. “We answered the call of the motherland when the country needed us,” he said.

The country was liberated during the officer training of the second batch of the guerrilla fighters, of which Anam was a part. Then, in February 1972, the guerrillas were repatriated.

“These cadets pioneered the all-Bangladesh officers’ batch of the Bangladesh Army in 1972,” said Maj Gen (retd) Jamil. “Several, like Anam, went on to continue their studies and lead civilian lives... He [Anam] studied economics in Dhaka University and made his mark in the country as a journalist.”

The editor’s training mates then handed over a memento of appreciation to him.

Upon receiving the honour, Mahfuz Anam thanked his comrades and said their bond of friendship created during the war has lasted for over the last 55 years and will endure till death parts them.

“When friendships are born at war, those friendships are absolutely immaculate and irreplaceable.”