Liberation War and Dhaka University field trip

This week we went on a field trip to the sites in Dhaka associated with the Liberation War. In 1971, Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan after a year long struggle precipitated by an armed attack by the Pakistani authority. Our first stop was the Liberation War Museum, which contains exhibits on the history of the war and the people who were killed. The first room was about the history of Bengal as a place of religious pluralism and acceptance, including Buddhists and Christians as well as Hindus and Muslims. The rest of the rooms contained exhibits on the refugee camps, people who died, and heroic efforts of Bengali soldiers.
Our next stop was the Language Martyrs’ monument. This is around the area of Dhaka University, and commemorates the people who died in the Language Movement in the 50’s. Pakistan had decided that Urdu was the national language, even though a majority of their population were Bengali and spoke Bangla. Dhaka University students and other social activists organized a protest on February 21st, 1952 and police reacted by killing several students. The students are now known as the Language Martyrs, and their movement was a major part of the Bangladesh independence struggle. The monument built to commemorate their struggle was destroyed by Pakistani forces at the beginning of the Liberation War and then rebuilt after independence.
Next we visited the Dhaka University campus and specifically a dorm where a massacre occurred on the first night of Operation Searchlight, as the Pakistani attack was called. It is (and was) an all-male dorm. Across the path from the dorm is a monument to the people killed there, and a mass grave with a brick wall around it and rose trees. On a lighter note, we also passed the worship space at Dhaka University where people from any religion can pray. Outside there are statues of Swami Vivekananda and the Buddha, although the Buddha is apparently being remade because it was in pieces.
We then toured the other monuments that are in road islands and traffic circles in the area. Dhaka University played such an important part in the independence movement that the important monuments are all nearby. We passed by several dedicated to the language martyrs and a few that commemorated the rise of the Bangladeshi state. There was one that had statues of all the famous Bengalis, with a large central statue commemorating Independence.
Our final stop before lunch was the fine arts building at Dhaka University. We went to an art exhibition and then walked around the grounds. The scenery was beautiful. I walked up to the roof with some of the others and took some pictures. When I went downstairs I found that the rest of our group were in one of the workshop rooms talking to artists. I went in and watched as the artists carved images into wood panels. Then we left to get lunch at Star Kabob, where we ate on the first field trip. This time we ordered together and the program paid for it, so it didn’t take as long. I got chicken tikka with two types of bread. Quite delicious.
After lunch we visited the home of Ferdousi Priyabhashini, one of the survivors of the Liberation war and a famous sculptor. She is friends with one of our teachers. Her story is very inspiring; she was the first woman to speak out about her treatment by the Pakistani soldiers. Her family encouraged her interest in art, and her sculptures are now well-known. She works with driftwood and tree roots. We saw her studio while we were there, and I really loved her style. She was very welcoming, and invited us to come back whenever we wanted.