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Published : 26 Mar 2025, 02:39 AM
“Who died here, Baba?” a young girl asked softly.
“Matiur Rahman," her father replied.
“Who was Matiur Rahman, Baba?” she asked again.
“He was a Bir Shreshthho," the father answered gently, "a martyr of our Liberation War."
Government employee Mazharul Islam had come to the National Museum in Shahbagh from Mirpur-10 with his 5-year-old daughter Purbhita Priti.
As they walked through the galleries, he narrated stories of the 1971 war and its heroes to his daughter.
In Gallery 38, titled “Bangladesh’s Struggle for Independence: Bengali Bangladesh Liberation War”, they came across the uniform and rank badge of Bir Shreshthho Matiur.
His daughter’s curiosity led to a conversation about his heroism.
Mazhar told bdnews24.com, “I’m on leave today, so I wanted to spend time with my daughter. I had visited before, and this gallery has always interested me. I wanted her to see it, to learn about our Liberation War.”
Near the section designed to resemble the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra radio station, another family from Jurain was exploring the museum.
Suman Barman, a resident of Jurain, had brought his family to visit.
“My grandfather was a freedom fighter. I carry the spirit of the Liberation War with me. One of my sons is in class five, the other in class four. I wanted to deepen their understanding of our history,” he said.
“Seeing the blood-stained blazer, shirt, and shoes of Language Movement martyr Shafiur Rahman was an indescribable experience. We also saw a skull with bullet wounds—reminders of our struggle. I wanted my children to connect with this history.”
Afzal Hossain had also come to the museum with his two sons, Tahsan Ahmed and Tasin Ahmed.
When asked about his visit, fifth-grader Tasin told bdnews24.com: “I saw the pistols (rifles) used by freedom fighters. I read about Matiur Rahman in my books, but today I saw real artefacts.”
Afzal added, “Some things from our Liberation War can only be seen in museums. It’s crucial to introduce children to their history.”
Like Mazhar, Suman, and Afzal, many parents bring their children to the museum to acquaint them with Bangladesh’s history and heritage.
School and college students also visit to explore the museum’s collection.
What stories of the Liberation War do they take home after their visit?
WHAT THE MUSEUM HOLDS
Founded on Mar 20, 1913, the museum was officially inaugurated on Aug 7 that year.
It was designated as the National Museum on Nov 17, 1983.
Situated on about 3.24 hectares of land, the four-storey building houses 45 galleries dedicated to anthropology, fine arts, history, nature, modern and ancient civilisations, and the Liberation War.
It also features a conservation centre, a library, an auditorium, a cineplex, and a film exhibition hall.
The museum’s architecture was designed by renowned architect Syed Mainul Hossain.
Its collections are divided into six sections:
History and classical art
Ethnology and decorative art
Contemporary art and world civilisation
Department of Natural History
Department of Conservation Laboratory
Public Education Division
The museum claims to house around 94,000 artefacts, although only 5,000 are displayed for public viewing.
The ground floor includes exhibitions on Bangladesh’s map, rural life, the Sundarbans, minerals, flora and fauna, birds, mammals, elephants, boats, indigenous communities, pottery, archaeology, sculptures, architecture, inscriptions, coins, medals, ornaments, and ivory art.
The first floor showcases weapons, metalwork, Chinese ceramics and glass art, dolls, musical instruments, textiles, Nakshi Kantha, woodwork, manuscripts, documents, contemporary art, and the Zainul Abedin Gallery.
Four galleries are dedicated to “Bangladesh’s Struggle for Independence: Bengali Bangladesh Liberation War”, displaying historical artefacts.
The second floor features exhibits on world civilisations, Western art, great thinkers, and themed corners for China, Switzerland, Iran, and Korea.
MEMORABILIA OF 1971 ON DISPLAY
The museum houses four exhibition rooms under the title Bangladesh’s Struggle for Independence: Bengalis, Bangladesh, and the Liberation War.
These rooms contain scattered memorabilia from before and after the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan.
However, they mainly feature artefacts from the post-Partition era, particularly from the 1952 Language Movement, the 1954 elections, the Six-Point Movement of 1966, the 1969 mass uprising, and numerous documents and relics from the 1971 Liberation War.
Upon entering through Gallery 37, visitors will find a collection of rare photographs covering events from the 1952 Language Movement to the Liberation War.
Moving forward to Exhibition Rooms 38 and 39, one can witness a diverse range of artefacts from the war, including photographs of operations carried out by freedom fighters, images of destroyed bridges, and training sessions of both the freedom fighters and the Pakistan Army’s training of Razakars or wartime collaborators.
A notable display here is the sculpture Shadhinotar Jonno or for Independence by artist Sultanul Islam.
Inside, visitors will come across the bloodstained blazer, shirt, and shoes of Language Martyr Shafiur Rahman from 1952.
There are also newspaper clippings, a copy of the 21-point proposal of the United Front, photographs of the accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case, and a historic Awami League election poster from 1970 that read, “Why is Golden Bengal a Crematorium?”.
The exhibition also includes images of the Mujibnagar government’s oath-taking ceremony during the Liberation War.
The museum also showcases photographs documenting the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army on the night of Mar 25, 1971.
It features images of Pakistan’s notorious generals, including Tikka Khan, Yahya Khan, and Rao Farman Ali, along with portraits of all army chiefs from 1947 to 1971.
Other exhibits include photographs of freedom fighters training in India’s Agartala, Tajuddin Ahmad delivering a speech in liberated zones, and indigenous martyrs of the war.
There is also a section dedicated to cultural figures who supported the war from Kolkata, including images of Shaheed Zahir Raihan and painter Qamrul Hassan.
The museum displays the remains of aircraft used in battle, a damaged Shaheed Minar pillar hit by Pakistani forces, and weapons such as the Three-Not-Three rifle, dummy rifles, LMGs, rocket launcher fragments, and a cannon built by freedom fighters.
The exhibition also includes maps used to track enemy positions, bags used during the war, and human skulls of those killed in the conflict.
A replica of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, or Independent Bangladesh Radio Station, has also been recreated here.
Visitors can see a copy of the famous Charampatra or The Ultimatum scripted by MR Akhtar Mukul, his photograph, and a wartime radio used for broadcasting.
RARE MEMORIES AND MEMORABILIA ON DISPLAY
The museum exhibits several rare artefacts from the Liberation War, including an answer sheet and pen used by Bangladesh’s wartime prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad.
Visitors can also see a sandalwood box once owned by national leader Syed Nazrul Islam.
Among the war heroes, the museum displays the air force badge, uniform, and pen of Bir Shreshtha Matiur.
Personal belongings of another Bir Shreshtha, Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir, such as his sleeveless vest, anklet, glasses, socks, and bag, are also on display.
The museum houses a cane, military cap, and the emblem of “Z Force”, led by Sector 1 Commander Ziaur Rahman, along with official notepads used by the force.
These items have been removed and reinstated over time due to “political reasons”.
The museum also showcases the ID card, passport, cheque stubs, medals, and badges of Major Khaled Mosharraf, commander of Sector 2 and “K Force”.
It also preserves the uniform, monogram, and photographs of Sector 3 Commander Major KM Shafiullah.
Items belonging to Sector 8 Commander Major Abu Osman Chowdhury, including his shirt and prayer mat, are also on display.
The museum features memorabilia of William Abraham Simon Ouderland, the only foreign recipient of a gallantry award during the war, including his Bir Protik certificate, tie, and photographs.
It also holds personal belongings of martyred intellectuals, such as the tie, letters, postcards, watch, and books of Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta; books of GC Dev; the diary, glasses, tobacco case, and pen of Altaf Mahmud; handwritten letters and photographs of Dhirendranath Datta; the notebook, certificate, watch, pen, and glasses of Sirajul Haque Khan; and the certificate, glasses, and nameplate of Syed Nazmul Haque.
A historically significant letter from then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, officially recognising Bangladesh, is also carefully preserved in the museum.
‘RENOVATION ONGOING, APOLOGIES FOR TEMPORARY INCONVENIENCE’
The museum presents a journey through Bangladesh’s history, from the Language Movement to the Liberation War.
The narrative is centred on the discovery of national identity, which was largely shaped through the historic Language Movement of 1952.
The Bengali people realised that, regardless of their other identities, their Bengali identity had been suppressed under the ideology of the two-nation theory.
This was further revealed through the increasing disparities between East Pakistan and West Pakistan, and the ethnic oppression and exploitation faced by East Pakistan.
In 1954, the United Front's overwhelming victory in the provincial elections was undermined when Pakistan's ruling elite dismissed the East Bengal government to maintain their vested interests.
In 1958, martial law was imposed, marking the beginning of continued exploitation of East Pakistan, along with systematic efforts to suppress Bengali language and culture.
The historical student movement of 1962 and the cultural movements of the 1960s gave new momentum to the struggle for independence.
In 1966, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Six-Point Movement became the manifesto for the freedom of the Bengali people.
The ruling regime, threatened by this, repeatedly arrested Sheikh Mujib and tried to thwart the movement, even filing the Agartala Conspiracy Case in 1968, accusing him of subversion.
However, this backfired.
In 1969, student-led movements evolved into a mass uprising, leading to the withdrawal of the Agartala Case and the release of Sheikh Mujib.
On Feb 23, 1969, he was hailed as “Bangabandhu” and became the undisputed leader of the Bengalis.
Amidst growing public unrest, then president Ayub Khan was forced to resign on Mar 25, 1969, and martial law was imposed once again.
In the 1970 elections, the Awami League, under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, secured a landslide victory, raising the Bangladesh flag.
However, the democratic mandate of the people was rejected.
On Mar 7, 1971, at Racecourse Ground in Dhaka, Bangabandhu delivered his historic speech, calling for resistance and preparing the nation for the coming war.
The military junta of Pakistan launched a brutal attack on the night of Mar 25, 1971.
The subsequent genocide has been compared with the Holocaust of WWII.
On Mar 26, 1971, Bangabandhu declared the independence of Bangladesh, leading to an armed resistance by the people against the Pakistani military, ultimately leading to victory.
The museum showcases different artifacts, memorabilia, and photographs of the Bangladesh Liberation War in four dedicated exhibition halls under the theme "Bangladesh's Struggle for Independence: The Bengali Liberation War”.
However, following the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, several items related to Bangabandhu, including his historic Mar 7 speech photo, posters, banners, and personal belongings, were removed from the museum.
Previously, two monitors displayed documentaries on the Language Movement and the Liberation War, but these have now been turned off.
The four exhibition halls dedicated to the liberation struggle now contain no individual photographs of Bangabandhu or his memorabilia.
The gallery at 40 is now completely empty, though a sign reading “Renovation Ongoing, Apologies for Temporary Inconvenience” is posted.
One gallery attendant explained that before Aug 5, photographs of Sheikh Mujib, along with several others, were displayed, but after student protests, many of these items were removed, and later, the departmental keeper removed all remaining memorabilia of Bangabandhu.
The gallery falls under the Department of History and Classical Arts.
Mohammad Monirul Haque, the department’s keeper, told bdnews24.com: “We have collected many artifacts, and part of our plan involves rotating these items regularly. People can get tired of seeing the same things repeatedly, so we swap exhibits.”
When asked about how much the new generation would learn about Bangladesh’s independence, he said: “Visitors will learn about our history, the Language Movement, and the daily life and heritage of our past, such as coins, sculptures, and more.”
NATIONAL MUSEUM REFORMS AND RESEARCHER CONCERNS
National Museum Director-General Nafriza Shayma, told bdnews24.com only 9 percent of the museum’s collection can currently be displayed.
This limitation is due to space constraints, but a new building has already been approved, and construction is underway.
Nafriza added, “Our new trustee board has held two meetings to review the list of items available for display. The board has decided to rotate the exhibitions, introducing new items regularly while removing old ones. The changes will be visible very soon.”
However, Liberation War researcher Salek Khokon believes that preserving the history of the Liberation War is not enough; it also needs to be promoted actively.
He told bdnews24.com, “If we preserve history but don’t engage the younger generation through different programmes, the real purpose of the museum will not be achieved.”
Khokon also pointed out that the forces involved in the Liberation War had not done enough to make the museum more active.
“Much work remains to be done in highlighting key aspects of the war. We have yet to bring attention to the history of the genocide. The list of martyrs’ names is still incomplete, and we continue to receive letters and items like bloodstained shirts from grassroots efforts. These can be preserved to better highlight their stories. There are still many aspects of the war that need to be worked on.”
[Writing in English by Arshi Fatiha Quazi]
