Topu Raihan urges Bangladesh to follow ideals of Liberation War to move forward

He says the struggle must continue as people have not truly achieved freedom even after the July Uprising

Topu Raihan, son of martyred intellectual Zahir Raihan, believes Bangladesh must advance by holding firmly to the ideals that inspired the 1971 Liberation War.

He spoke at the launch of the second volume of bdnews24.com’s Liberation War compilation, Bangladesh, Penned in Blood, on Saturday night.

“We must preserve the roots of the Liberation War spirit illuminated in 1971. Without holding on to these roots, we cannot move forward,” he said.

Reflecting on 54 years of independence, Topu noted that secularism has endured but its full realisation remains incomplete.

“The need for the July Uprising arose precisely because the Liberation War spirit could not be fully implemented. We’ve not truly achieved freedom even after the 2024 mass uprising,

“Our struggle must continue. I am hopeful that, God willing, we will soon reach a place free from inequality, practising genuine democracy,” he said.

Son of filmmaker Zahir Raihan and actress Kohinur Akhter Suchanda, Topu was born in Dhaka, with his family roots lying in Feni.

He studied at Dhaka Residential Model School and College and Adamjee Cantonment College.

Professionally, he is a business entrepreneur and has also acted in films, maintaining a deep connection with arts and culture.

On the anthology, he said: “I learned about the Liberation War through history. Presenting an impartial history of the Liberation War to the new generation is essential.

“The bdnews24.com collection, ‘Bangladesh, Penned in Blood’, will be considered an important work in studying our liberation history.”

Topu Raihan is also an independent candidate for Dhaka-17 in the parliamentary elections.

“I entered politics inspired by my father’s ideals. We must continue practising democracy, so that Bangladesh can stand as a truly independent nation on the world stage,” he said.

The three-volume series aims to document Bangladesh’s multifaceted people’s war. The first volume, “Bangladesh, Penned in Blood – An Endless War: A Legacy of Glory, Grief and Roots”, was published on 2025 Victory Day.

The second volume was unveiled on Saturday, edited by bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi.