'Mancha 71' launched to preserve Liberation War history

A new civil society platform named "Mancha 71" has been launched to counter a conspiracy to erase the history of the Liberation War and to uphold the dignity of the freedom fighters.

In a sharply worded statement on Wednesday, the platform demanded legal and political safeguards to prevent historical revisionism and called upon state institutions to clarify their stance on the foundational legacy of Bangladesh.

The declaration came through a press release issued on Monday, jointly signed by Professor Abdullah Al Mahmud (Bir Pratik), who also serves as the coordinator of the platform and is a noted freedom fighter, and Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna. They reiterated the need for an immediate and uncompromising defence of the Liberation War's core principles, warning that continued distortion would provoke a nationwide response.

"The Great Liberation War is not just the name of a territory, flag or national anthem-it is the symbol of the Bengali nation's self-respect," the statement reads.

"It is the fruit of thousands of years of dreams and sacrifices. Yet today, we see with deep pain and anger that a conspiracy to erase this history is underway." Referring explicitly to the so-called "July Declaration" and statements issued following the August Uprising, the platform alleged that recent political narratives have attempted to rewrite history and undermine the collective memory of the war.

"Such attempts to distort and insult the Liberation War are unacceptable and constitute an affront to the sacrifices of our martyrs," it said.

Mancha 71 outlined five demands on behalf of the freedom fighters. First, any portion of the July Declaration that includes anti-Liberation War rhetoric must be categorically rejected. Second, the nation cannot and will not accept any effort to draft a new constitution that bypasses the historical and ideological legacy of the 1971 Liberation War. Third, the collective honour of freedom fighters must not be tarnished by associating them with the political failures of any party. Fourth, those who distort the history of the war or publicly insult freedom fighters must be prosecuted and tried for treason under relevant sections of the penal code. And fifth, Dr Yunus' proposed interim government must come forward with an unequivocal position on the Liberation War, including what it supports and what it opposes.