Bangladesh in Italy: Jatiyo Smriti Soudho or National Martyrs' Memorial

7/22/2009

Jatiyo Smriti Soudho or National Martyrs' Memorial

Jatiyo Sriti Soudho at Savar, a tribute to the martyrs of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Jatio Sriti Shoudho or National Martyrs' Memorial is a monument in Bangladesh.

It is the symbol of the valour and the sacrifice of those killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, which brought the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistani rule. The monument is located in Savar, about 35km north-west of the capital, Dhaka.

History
Plans for the monument were initiated right after the independence, in 1972. Following the site selection, road and land development, a nation-wide design competition was held in June, 1978. Following evaluation of the 57 submissions, Syed Mainul Hossain's design was chosen. The main structure and the artificial lake and other facilities were completed in 1982.

Structure
The monument is composed of 7 isosceles triangular pyramid shaped structures, with the middle one being the tallest. The highest point of the monument is 150 feet. There is an artificial lake, and several mass graves in front of the main monument.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Rony Akther, BCII President and Founder, had the pleasure to shake hands with great Muhammad Yunus. Muhammad Yunus - Bangladeshi, 2006 Peace Nobel Price, creator of the "microcredit system" and founder of the "Grameen Bank" (The Bank of the Village, in Bengali language) - and Rony Akther met in Rome in 2009. Yunus congratulated BCII President on the important idea to create a Bangladesh Cutural Institute in Italy and on the BCII activity. Furthermore, he wished BCII activity during 2008 and a reach future for the Institute, after to enquire about BCII next activities and projects. For Rony Akther it was a very great honour to receive such an appreciation by a renowned celebrity like Muhammad Yunus!

Bangladesh Cultural Institute of Italy (B.C.I.I.) is an ONLUS ( a non-profit-making organization) whose purpose is to promote the Bangladeshi culture and language in Italy. B.C.I.I. aims to be a point of reference for the “Second Generation”, children of Bangladeshi immigrants in Italy, in order to let them to benefit from the cultural heritage of their ancestors, even if they were born, they grow up and they live in Italy. In fact to go into the Bangladeshi cultural heritage thoroughly is very difficult when people live far from the one’s place of origin. B.C.I.I. originated from a Rony Akther’s project. Rony and many other representatives of the Bangladeshi intelligentsia in Italy want to support a new Italian identity, so that it can be more and more intercultural. Established on the 1rst September 2007, in Rome, B.C.I.I. started his activity in occasion of the Boishakhi Mela 1415, the Bangladeshi New Year’s Day festival, who took place on April 2008 in Rome. To promote Bangladeshi language and culture, B.C.I.I. organizes all year round countless events and manifestations, as literary meetings to spare the knowledge of important Bangladeshi personalities, writers, intellectuals. Then, B.C.I.I. aims to support too the work of Bangladeshi artists as musicians, dancers. The purpose of B.C.I.I. is to make known the musical tradition of Bangladesh and the use of traditional musical instruments, as tablā, harmonium e and sitar. Furthermore, B.C.I.I. aspires to be a guide for the discovery of the surprising Bangladeshi cookery, with tasting of traditional flavours and dishes, as byriani rice, paesh sweet or gilapi pancakes. Finally, B.C.I.I. is involved too in the promotion of the local Bangladeshi handicrafts, as the sumptuous silk used to make shari typical dresses or ruby jewels. Rony Akther, BCII President and Founder, is a Probad Purush (presenter and speaker on the stage), of the Bangladeshi Culture. He lives in Italy frome almost 15 years. He has a very great love for the stage, but also for the philosophy. Graduate in Political Science, he started going everywhere, in Italy and also abroad, to spread the Bangladeshi Culture and Language. The creation of the BCII in 2007, in Itay, is the last but not the least project he achieved.