Panel discussions, screening of a documentary on the 1971 genocide by Pakistan Army and reading out messages from President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were the highlights of the programmes.
In New Delhi, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali urged the UN to declare March 25 as the Genocide Day.
He recalled that 3 million innocent civilians were killed, 2 lakh women raped and 10 million people were forced to leave their homes by the Pakistani troops during the nine-month War of Liberation, said a press release.
Moderated by Farid Hossain, Minister (Press), the panel discussion was participated by Durbar Ganguly, editor-in-chief of the Millennium Post newspaper, and Mohua Chatterjee, Assist Political Editor of the Times of India.
The panelists said the perpetrators of the 1971 carnage should be tried on charges of crime against humanity.
The Embassy of Bangladesh in Seoul, to raise awareness about the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh in the Republic of Korea, especially among the young generation of this country, invited some college students to the event.
The members of Bangladesh community along with the officials of the embassy also attended the event.
The event commenced with the singing of the national anthem followed by reading out of verses from the Holy Quran, Geeta, Bible, and Tripitaka and conducting of special prayer for the salvation of the departed souls of the martyrs.
Then, a one-minute silence was observed with candlelight vigil in remembrance of the martyrs of 25th March and the War of Independence.
Also, a booklet titled “Bangladesh Genocide Revisited” was distributed among the attendees.
During the discussion, the speakers focused on the importance of the recognition of the 1971 genocide that was committed 48 years ago.
Jung Jae-hee, a student of Shingu College of Korea, in her speech in Bangla, highlighted the similarities of historical struggle between Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea. She also paid rich tributes to the 3 million martyrs and the freedom fighters of the Liberation War.
Ambassador Abida Islam paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, all the martyrs and freedom fighters of the War of Independence, said a press release.
She mentioned that this genocide is not mentioned in any official and historical narratives of the South Asia region, the UN or any other international circles. She also underlined that once recognised and documented by the international community, no fabrication of information on the facts of the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh would be possible.
A poetry recital on the Liberation War followed the discussion session.