The UN Human Rights Council has included the demand for international recognition of genocide committed by the Pakistani military forces and their collaborators against the Bangalis during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. The demand is included as agenda item 3 of the UN Human Rights Council’s 53rd session scheduled for June 19- July 14. Read more: Researchers, scholars urged to present facts of Bangladesh genocide before global community UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received the written statement issued by the Bangladeshi diaspora organisation, Stichting BASUG (Bangladesh Support Group) with Special Consultative Status of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN along with pro-liberation organisations seeking to establish a secular Bangladesh -- Aamra Ekattor, Projonmo '71, European Bangladesh Forum, and Seraji Foundation. The statement, which reiterated their demand for the “International Recognition of the 1971 genocide”,  was circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 1996/31 on 29 May. Read more: West must recognize 1971 genocide Pakistan army committed in Bangladesh: Shahriar Alam

Bangladesh and India will commemorate 6th December as "Maitri Diwas" or Friendship Day demonstrating that the emotional bonds stemming from the invaluable contribution of the government and the people of India in the Liberation War of Bangladesh remain a "dominant factor" in formulating Bangladesh-India relations.  State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh and India are celebrating together the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Bangladesh-India relations (‘Maitree Diwas’) on December 6 at 18 selected cities across the globe along with Dhaka and New Delhi. He recalled with utmost respect the brave freedom fighters of Bangladesh and the Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Bangladesh's Independence in 1971. Read:Border killing a tragedy; it must stop: Doraiswami "The blood of over 18 thousand Indians, mingled with the millions of our own people, culminated in Bangladesh’s independence, and laid the basis of our special friendship," Shahriar said. Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson at the Indian Minister of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) will organise a special event on December 6 in New Delhi.  The event will see participation from both countries. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will send a video message for the event to be held in New Delhi, an official told UNB. There will be celebrations in Dhaka too on the occasion.  "I want to emphasise that the holding of the Maitri Diwas is a reflection of the deep and abiding friendship between the people of India and the people of Bangladesh, that has been forged in blood and shared sacrifices," said Arindam Bagchi. During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in March this year, it was decided to commemorate 6th December as "Maitri Diwas." Just 10 days before the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, India had recognised Bangladesh on December 6, 1971.  India was one of the first countries to establish bilateral diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.  Maitri Diwas has been commemorated in 18 countries around the world apart from Dhaka and New Delhi.  Other countries are Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Qatar, Singapore, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. Despite challenges in place including unresolved Teesta water sharing issue, Bangladesh and India have made some great achievements, including implementation of the Ganges Treaty, Land Boundary Agreement and addressed the cross-boundary terrorism, foreign affairs analysts say. Read:Dhaka-Delhi ties “crucial for greater regional stability” The two close neighbours also progressed much in terms of enhanced connectivity and trade though logistics remains a challenge. Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya in a recent discussion said, "Your agenda and my agenda are equally important. If you think my agenda is more important than the other, then you are not having the equal treatment within a sovereign territory. I hope the leadership (of both the countries) will give content to these concepts.” Shahriar said last 50 years are testimony, with ample evidence, how crucial Bangladesh-India relations are not only for bilateral partnership and peace, but also for greater regional stability and the development of the subcontinent. "It’s my firm conviction that, last 50 years will guide us to navigate the course of next 50 years in the evolving scenario of the regional and global context, where the friendship and partnership would be deeper and more consolidated," he said.

The liberation war of 1971 is one of the most significant events in the history of Bangladesh and Bengali Nationalism. Beyond the ordeal of war, the oppression, repression, violation of human rights, and the atrocities committed by the Pakistani armed forces are something that still reverberates among the Bengalis. 50 years onward from the liberation war, there are attempts to preach the supreme sacrifices of the valiant heroes through video games. Several games have been developed to propagate the true history of the liberation war to the next generation.  Bangladesh’s Liberation War based Video Games War 71: The First Defense The story of the glorious liberation war started on the night of 25th March 1971. And this is precisely where the game is set up. The atrocities committed that night by the Pakistani Armed Forces are the premise of this game. Specifically, the defense was put up by the then police in the Rajarbagh Police Lines.  This game is the first open-world game developed in Bangladesh that too centered on the liberation war. The players will get to play as police members in Rajarbagh Police lines. There is not much exploring as expected from an open-world game. But considering the time and resources available, the game delivers on a unique and fun experience. There are a total of 16 different levels each with several objectives. The player has to complete all of them to level up. A player can use different weapons, cars, and vehicles to kill the enemy. The graphics are not over the top but it does make for a fun and engaging experience.  Read Best Free Realistic Cricket Simulation Games for PCs, Laptops There is a VR version of the same game called VR War 71. It delivers a simulated experience and allows the player to get deeper into the gameplay. It is exclusively available on the Play Store and has been downloaded over 100,000 times since its initial release. Heroes of 71 Heroes of 71 was a pioneer of liberation war games in Bangladesh. It was not the first game but it was the most comprehensive and detail-oriented game that captured the gamers and non-gamers alike. The immersive experience found in the game was unmatched for a long time since its release in 2015. 

Sunday, 1st of August marked the 50th anniversary of the historic ‘Concert for Bangladesh’, the charity concert organized for the aid of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh by world-famous Indian sitar maestro Pandit Sri Ravi Shankar, and English singer, songwriter, and lead guitarist of The Beatles, George Harrison at the historic Madison Square Garden, New York. Initiated with a mission to draw international attention to the war genocide and fund relief for refugees from then East Pakistan, the pair of concerts was organized on August 1st, 1971 featuring legendary names in world music including Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and more. Read:Joy Bangla Concert: Rock stars share best memories The Concert for Bangladesh is acknowledged as the first such charity concert for a humanitarian cause, that paved the way for many later events such as BandAid, LiveAid and Live8. Although the ongoing global pandemic of Covid-19 prevented any massive-scale celebration in the country, the historic day has been observed with deep respect and a couple of significant arrangements as tributes to the historic charity concert that addressed Bangladesh to many of the music lovers around the world. Honouring the legacy of the historic concert, London-based UBIK Productions and Samdani Art Foundation (Dhaka) organized a unique online concert titled ‘Concert from Bangladesh’ on Sunday, supported by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund. The mixed reality concert, streamed live at the Pioneer Works' online platform on Sunday at 6 pm (Bangladesh time) enthralled audiences through an exclusive audio-visual journey divided into an expansive three-act, featuring renowned Baul singer Arif Baul accompanied by instrumental artists Nazrul Islam, Saidur Rahman, and Sohel; an exclusive piece on the second act composed by Enayet Kabir and Nishit Dey, exploring the shared musical language between Nazrul Sangeet, classical raga, and 90s music utilizing the cutting edge electronic production and arrangements by Enayet Kabir, Provhat Rahman and Adittya Arzu, also known as Siaminium, with classical raga and Nazrul Sangeet by Meerashri Arshee and Moumita Haque, Bansuri flute by Jawaad Mustakim Al Muballig and Nishit Dey on sitar - and the concluding act by the popular Bangladeshi hip hop duo, the 12-year-old 'Gully Boy' Rana alongside Tabib Mahmud. Read:Bands pay tribute to Joy Bangla Concert Acclaimed British-South Asian artist Shezad Dawood crafted the virtual reality stage for the concert with having the historical-intellectual hub Beauty Boarding, the riverbanks of Gorai River in Kushtia and Somapura Mahavihara in Paharpur, Naoga on the background. The concert was co-curated by Diana Campbell, Artistic Director of the SAF, alongside music producer and artist Enayet Kabir, assistant curators Ruxmini Choudhury and Shoummo Saha. Inspired by the virtuous concept of the charity Concert for Bangladesh, all proceeds from this unique concert will be distributed between the performing musicians and Bangladeshi charity organisation, Friendship, which offers healthcare for climate change refugees and promotes women's rights in Bangladesh. Earlier, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar on Sunday unveiled a commemorative stamp worth Tk 10 and an opening envelope worth Tk 10 from his office in Dhaka, alongside a data card worth Tk 5, honouring the historic concert. Read:‘Music Against Hunger’: The charity concert for an era of pandemic Meanwhile, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak unveiled a special commemorative book titled 'The Country That Lived - Fifty Years of Freedom and the Concert for Bangladesh' on Saturday. The ‘Concert for Bangladesh’, joined by 40,000 live audiences at the Madison Square Garden in New York City is considered the trailblazing event that revolutionized many all-star charity events that have followed ever since.

  Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Walter Hitchcock once said, "freedom is not free." Indeed, it is not free, and freedom is the best achievement for Bangladesh. After a nine months long great liberation war, we achieved our independence. During those nine months, the Pakistani aggressors killed three million innocent people in Bangladesh. Memorials and sculptures have been erected in different parts of the country to keep alive the memory of those martyrs who gave their lives in the liberation war. Here we will discuss the liberation war memorials in the major cities of Bangladesh. 1971's Independence war monuments in the major cities of Bangladesh  Dhaka Dhaka has many liberation war memorials; however, the National Martyr's Memorial is the most significant one. It is located in Savar, which is 25 kilometers away from Dhaka. The monument was designed by Syed Mainul Hossain, and it was dedicated to all three million martyrs. National Martyr's Memorial's unique design consists of seven triangular-shaped structures; each signifies the seven historical moments that formed independent Bangladesh. The moments are 1952's Language Movement, 1954's legislative election victory United Front, the Constitution Movement in 1956, 1962's Education Movement, 1966's 6-point movement, 1969's Mass Uprising, and finally 1971's Liberation war. This iconic design has 150 feet spanning height, and it is our national symbol. Read Top Sculptures in Dhaka City Chattogram Chattogram is said to be the birthplace of the independence movement. But even in the five decades of independence, the memorial of the liberation war was not built in Chattogram metropolis. However, a Shaheed Minar named 'Sobedhon Nilmini' was built in 1969 in front of the Nandan Kanan Muslim Institute Hall in Chittagong to tribute the language martyrs. But this Shaheed Minar has been used to pay homage to all national days. Apart from this, there are two monuments in Patiya and Raozan Upazilas of Chittagong. Although the Bangladesh government has made the announcement to build a liberation war memorial in Chattogram, it has not seen any ray of hope yet. Read Top Historical Landmarks in Dhaka Reminding Liberation War of 1971 Sylhet Banshtala Memorial in Sylhet is not just a memorial; it contains the graves of 14 freedom fighters who were martyred in the liberation war. It is surrounded by the Meghalaya mountains, which are located in Banshtala village of Doarabazar Upazila of Sunamganj district.

Bangladesh will observe Martyred Intellectuals Day on Monday to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War.

War criminal Chowdhury Mueen Uddin, who was sentenced to death for his role in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War, sued the UK home secretary alleging that a home office report defamed him last year.