Bangladesh opens ‘Genocide Corner’ in historic Sugondha building

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has opened a Genocide Corner at the historic Sugondha building which is also the Foreign Service Academy of Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen opened the corner in the presence of ministers, diplomats of different countries, and government officials on Thursday which is the ‘Foreign Service Day’ of Bangladesh.

On this day in 1971, following the formation of Mujibnagar government in exile, Bangladeshi diplomats and staff stationed in Kolkata, defying the oppressive and occupation regime of Pakistan, took over the Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner’s Office and hoisted the Bangladesh national flag atop.

“This day is very significant for the independent and sovereign country of Bangladesh,” the foreign minister said as he also honoured three of those diplomats with crest.

Deputy High Commissioner Md Hosen Ali and Third Secretary Anwarul Karim Chowdhury declared their allegiance to Bangladesh government, and took charge of the premises of the Pakistani Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. They also declared it ‘Bangladesh Diplomatic Mission’, which later became ‘Bangladesh Foreign Office’ in Kolkata.

The other officers who also defected in Kolkata on Apr 18, 1971 were Third Secretary Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Assistant Press Attaché Maksud Ali.

Second Secretary KM Shehabuddin and Assistant Press Attaché of the then Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi Amzadul Haq also defected and declared their allegiance to Bangladesh. They opened the Diplomatic Front of the Liberation War even before the establishment of the Mujibnagar government on Apr 17.

Following them, AH Mahmood Ali, the immediate past foreign minister and the then vice consul at the Pakistan Consulate in New York, resigned from the Pakistan Foreign Service and switched his allegiance to Bangladesh government on Apr 26, 1971. He became the first diplomat in the US to express his allegiance to Bangladesh government.

Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, the former finance minister, who was in the US at the time, also switched his allegiance on June 6 and another 22 diplomats in Washington DC on Aug 1 expressed their allegiance to Bangladesh government.

The foreign minister handed crests to honour three of them - Hussein Ali, Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, and Amjadul Huq.

He said the Genocide Corner was opened to preserve the historic legacy of the war of liberation and in remembrance of the three million victims of genocide of 1971, the second worst genocide since WWII.

“We carefully chose this building to house the Genocide Corner in a historic room. This building was built in 1960 and Queen Elizabeth II stayed in this house. After her departure, this house became the President’s House.

“After independence on December 16, 1971, this house became ‘Gonobhaban’ (People’s House), Prime Minister’s Office. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founder of Bangladesh, discharged his duties for nearly two years from this office,” Momen said.

The Prime Minister’s Office was moved to the newly constructed Gonobhaban in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in 1974.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said he “cannot imagine what could the mental condition be of a defecting diplomat".

“I could only imagine the gruesome genocide of the night of March 25, 1971 must have motivated them to decide to sacrifice all their habitual comforts and embark on an uncertain journey,” he said.

“They must have realised that it would be treachery to serve a government that could butcher its own people in millions.

“We often utter the maxim that diplomacy is the first line of defence. It had literally been vindicated once again during our Liberation War by the gallantry of our diplomats.”

He said they would continue to honour other diplomats in phases.

Education Minister Dipu Moni, Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam, Amir Hossain Amu MP, and Faruk Khan MP were also present, among others, on the occasion.