The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) has issued a strong denunciation of what it describes as a deliberate and systematic plan by the interim government to destroy historically significant documents relating to Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. The party has characterised the alleged move as an intentional attempt to erase the nation’s heroic past and undermine the foundational narrative of independence.
In a press statement released on Thursday, JASAD Office Secretary Sajjad Hossain claimed that the government intends to dispose of a vast archive comprising interviews and documentary materials connected to the Liberation War. According to the statement, the plan involves the destruction of some 15,000 recorded interviews with freedom fighters, along with an equivalent volume of documentary records. JASAD warned that, if carried out, the initiative would permanently eliminate irreplaceable primary evidence of the country’s struggle for independence.
“These documents bear witness to the courage, leadership and sacrifice of the freedom fighters,” the statement said. “Their destruction would amount to a calculated effort to distort the history of the Liberation War. Such an act sends a deeply alarming signal to the nation and strikes at the very spirit of independence.”
The materials reportedly at risk include extensive video interviews recorded over several years, capturing first-hand accounts of combat, organisational leadership, civilian resistance, and the hardships endured during the nine-month war in 1971. Each interview is said to document personal narratives of bravery and resilience, providing researchers, students and future generations with direct access to lived experiences of the conflict. JASAD emphasised that once destroyed, such primary sources could never be reconstructed, resulting in an irreversible loss to national and global historiography.
Where information has been disclosed, the scale of the threatened archive can be summarised as follows:
| Category of material | Approximate quantity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Video interviews | 15,000 | Recorded testimonies of freedom fighters detailing personal experiences |
| Documentary records | 15,000 | Official and private documents related to the 1971 Liberation War |
| Total | 30,000 | Historical items reportedly facing potential destruction |
JASAD has called upon citizens to unite in opposition to what it termed an “anti-Liberation War agenda”. The party urged civil society organisations, historians, cultural activists and political groups to take immediate and coordinated action to safeguard the archival materials. “The struggle and sacrifice of our freedom fighters cannot be erased,” the statement declared. “We will take every possible step to ensure these records are preserved.”
Sajjad Hossain further stressed that the interviews and documents are not merely historical artefacts but constitute the living essence of Bangladesh’s independence and national consciousness. Preserving them, he argued, is essential to maintaining the country’s collective memory and dignity.
The controversy has generated widespread concern among historians, social activists and ordinary citizens, many of whom fear that the loss of primary sources would create a permanent void in the documentation of the Liberation War. JASAD reiterated its commitment to protecting the archives and called for heightened national vigilance and a concerted effort to ensure that the authentic history of 1971 remains intact for future generations.