Professor Salimullah Khan has emphasized the need for a multidimensional analysis of the early stages of the Liberation War, going beyond accurate historical studies and state narratives. He said that the ‘Operation Searchlight’ of March 25, 1971, was a well-planned repression by the Pakistani military junta, which accelerated the armed resistance of the Bengalis and the Liberation War.
He made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at a seminar titled ‘Operation Searchlight and the Beginning of Bangladesh’s Liberation War: In Search of Authentic Historical Narratives’ at the central auditorium of Jagannath University on Monday.
Salimullah Khan emphasized the use of political-historical context, eyewitness accounts and contemporary documents to understand the history of the Liberation War. He noted that although this massacre amounted to genocide under international law, its full documentation is still necessary. He called for raising new questions and data-based research in search of the truth.
At the seminar, Jagannath University Vice Chancellor Professor Raish Uddin said that even after 56 years of independence, the true and accurate history of the Liberation War in Bangladesh has not yet been written, which is a big shame for the nation. He expressed regret and said that it has not yet been possible to determine the exact number of martyrs in the Liberation War or the complete list of martyred intellectuals. He called for freedom from the tendency to distort history to convey the correct history to future generations.
The event was chaired by the university’s research director, Professor Imranul Haque, and moderated by Md. Anisur Rahman, a teacher from the Department of Islamic History and Culture. Teachers, students and researchers from various departments of the university participated in the seminar.