Bangladesh in Italy: 26th March 2010 - Independence and National Day of Bangladesh

3/25/2010

26th March 2010 - Independence and National Day of Bangladesh

The nation observes the Independence and National Day
paying deep homage to the martyrs and recalling their supreme sacrifices in the Liberation War of 1971.

Under the charismatic leadership of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and responding to his call of independence, the whole nation was united as one and took up arms to free their motherland from the clutches of Pakistani occupation forces in 1971.

On the black night of March 25 in 1971, when the brutal Pakistani military junta started genocide, Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of the eastern part of Pakistan, now Bangladesh, to end once and for all the 24 years of subjugation and exploitation.

The Declaration of Independence

"Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country.
On Thursday night West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police
barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dhaka.
Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of
Bangladesh. Violent clashes between EPR and Police on the one hand and the
armed forces of Pindi on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting
the enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May God aid us
in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla."

Soon after the Pakistani army crackdown on the night of March 25, 1971, the first declaration of independence was made over the radio by M. A. Hannan, written by the leader of (as Bangladesh was formerly known) East Pakistan and Chief of Awami League Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, from the Kalurghat Betar Kendra, Chittagong on March 26, 1971. Very few people heard this declaration and Major Zia's famous Ami Major Zia Bolchhi declaration over Chittagong radio on March 27 was picked up by foreign news agency and was given wide publicity.

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.