`Liberty Square’ mooted in Dhaka
By IANSThursday, July 8, 2010
DHAKA - A memorial called Liberty Square will come up at the spot where the Pakistan Army surrendered to the joint command of Bangladesh and India Dec 16, 1971, marking the country’s liberation.
Following a high court recommendation in response to a petition by freedom fighters, Bangladesh Attorney General Mahbubey Alam has said he would urge the government to implement the advice at the earliest.
At the end of the 14-day war, the Pakistan Army surrendered its 93,000 officers and men at Suhrawardy Udyan, a large open space that is named after H.S. Suhrawardy, a former prime minister of then East Pakistan.
The high court’s “advice” came a year after the court passed a judgment on a writ petition jointly filed by freedom fighters Maj Gen (Retd) K.M. Safiullah, who was the first army chief, and Muntasir Mamun, a professor.
The court also asked the government to declare Dec 15 as National Mourning Day in memory of the people who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War.
Bangladesh says three million people perished during the freedom struggle.
The court suggested identifying and preserving all the important places related to the Liberation War, The Daily Star said Thursday.
