Bangladesh screens documentary in Washington for recognition of 1971 genocide

The Bangladesh government has screened a documentary in Washington as part of its drive to get the recognition of the 1971 genocide by raising awareness.

The embassy in the US capital organised the premier screening of the documentary titled ‘Voice of Conscience’ by President of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Trial of war Criminals of 1971) Shahriar Kabir.

Members of Washington-based think tanks, media personalities, diplomats and officials from the US administration including State Department and members of Bangladesh diaspora were present during the show on June 17, the embassy said.

The 64-minute documentary, which recorded witnesses and accounts of the members of Pakistani civil society, politicians, journalists, poets, former military officials and human rights activists, vividly depicted the horrendous crimes of genocide inflicted on the unarmed people in Bangladesh by the Pakistani military and their local cohorts during the War of Independence in 1971.

The documentary centred around the urgent need for realising a recognition of the genocide and holding the Pakistani perpetrators accountable and a formal apology by the government of Pakistan to Bangladesh.

The programme started with welcome remarks of Deputy Chief of Mission of the embassy Mahbub Hasan Saleh.

Shahriar Kabir also made a short presentation on his documentary and interacted with the audience after the screening.

The documentary was “very well appreciated” by the audience, the embassy said.

The guests were treated to traditional Bangladeshi cuisine at the end of the event.