It is very hard to elaborate the accomplishments of a person like Akku Chowdhury’s, he is very modest about personal exposure. We contacted his long time friend Robin Khundkar to assimilate some information about his personal life. Akku was a student of Adamji Cantonment College in late sixties and the time Bangalee mutiny in 1969. When the Pakistani Atrocities broke out in 1971, to subjugate the Bangalees forever, he worked for Bangladesh Bank and his job was to collect and cataloguing the world newspapers carrying the Bangladesh Story in 1971. I was trained in July 1971 by Major Huda (sub sector commander of Sector 8 in Boira and in November was inducted in Sector 9 by Captain Huda ( sub sector commander of Sector 9). Hewas in the final thrust of the war in Satkhira and Khulna under Lieutenant Ahsan. After a short period following Pakistani surrender in Dhaka, Akku left for United Kingdom and to the United States later on. Finally he went back to Bangladesh in 1981 to uphold the spirit of liberation and pass it to coming generations.

Akku is a gifted innovator, who can generate ideas as well as implement them. When it comes to words or personal exposure he is very shy. He opened the first burger shop Snack Junction in Dhanmandi, Dhaka. His ventures range from farming to furniture shop before he settled in ice cream trade. That was the same time he, with support from others, implemented the exquisite mission of establishing the Museum. This work alone reveals how superb a person he is.

Akku was closely observing the socialist student movements in France and Europe in sixties and seventies counter to Soviet bureaucratic socialism. That might have great impact on his orientation to people. "I want to take the museum to people", "people will make the history, I just want to expose them" says Akku as Robin describes. Akku also visited several museums in the United States and closely observed their operations. Finally he came up with the idea of this grand idea of "Outreach Program", another greatest innovation for future Bangladeshis.

Casually dressed Mr. Akku Chowdhury in his office [Picture: A.H. Jaffor Ullah]

Critics argue that after more than twenty years new generation Bangalees were to learn very little about the liberation war. The school textbooks were written with distorted history to divert the new generations. The nation passed through a time when freedom fighters were being killed and prosecuted by the anti liberation forces. That was a time when the collaborators of Pakistani army were gradually regaining energy. Then came forward the “courageous mother” of a martyred freedom fighter; Shaheed Jononi Jahanara Imam in 1991 to shake the nation. The nation had been reawakened, people of all ages stood by her.

Her inspirations lead to a great deal of soul searching and brainstorming. Eight individuals agreed to establish the Muktijhoda Smrity Trust in 1994. The members were Dr. Sarwar Ali, Mr. Aly Zaker, Mr. Asaduzzaman Noor, Ms. Sara Zaker, Architect Rabiul Hasan, Mr. Mofidul Hoque, Mr. Ziauddin Tariq Ali, and Mr. Akku Chowdhury. The trust took the challenge of establishing Mukti Juddho Jadoghar (Liberation War Museum). The eight trusties never, for one moment, thought that they alone could achieve what had not been done in the previous 25 years. As described by the Museum authority.

Akku Chowdhury alone had convinced many intellectuals to form a Museum for our Muktijuddho (Liberation War). His relentless efforts along with others’ made it within 21 months and the Museum opened its door on March 22, 1996. Despite the time of political uncertainty with the non co-operation movement at its height and the seasonal afternoon storm (Kalboishakhi), an overwhelming number of (over 1500) people were present at the opening ceremony. Akku Chowdhury heads the board of trusty consisting of these eight great people and is the director the Museum. The Museum observed its second year of functioning with chief guest Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jagjit Singh Aurora. Noble laureate Prof. Amartya Sen visited the Museum in December 1998. Lately, the Museum has become an institution by itself. Any foreign dignitaries who stop by Dhaka usually come for a visit to this place. Some argue that scope of the Museum could be enhanced with an expanded web site. Many people and children both abroad and inland do not have a chance to visit as often as they want. Expanded web site could help them know many things without even visiting.

The Museum has six galleries. The first one contains ancient relics of Bangla and items from British colonial period. The second gallery retains objects from period of Pakistani colonial period. The third gallery includes many rare photographs documenting the atrocities done by Pakistani army. This also holds material from the first phase of Bangladesh’s freedom struggle starting with Sheikh Mujib’s March 7 speech up to fleeing of the refugee to India. The fourth gallery shows bits and pieces used by Bangalee victims who were brutally massacred by Pakistani army along with valuable documents from émigré Government of Bangladesh. The adjoining balcony contains a big map of occupied Bangladesh divided into 11 sectors during the Liberation War. The pictures of all the sector commanders and their imagery are displayed here. The fifth gallery contains materials from mass people who had suffered very grueling time during the 9 months of genocide. The photographs here bears testament for the support of our legitimate struggle against Pakistani subjugation. The last gallery contains materials from the ending period of the notorious atrocity. Many renowned intellectuals were rounded up and executed by the Fifth Columnists Al-Badar, Al-Shams, Razakars and other collaborators. This gallery has materials to document those gratuitous killings. The supreme sacrifice of our freedom fighters and Indian soldiers in the last weeks is also documented here.

In front of martyred Dr. Fazle Rabbi's car [Picture: A.H. Jaffor Ullah]

The documentation of Pakistani brutality forms a profound impact on any conscious visitor. Most Pakistanis can’t believe the degree of brutality committed by their army. Visitors argue that if the pictures of the Museum, its different galleries, could be shown to them, civilized Pakistanis would have demanded the trial of war criminals. We should show the Pakistani people the evidences of Tikka-Niazi’s scorched-earth policy on Bangalees. Every citizen of Bangladesh should come here and see the evidences firsthand; the evidences of brutality by Pakistani army and their Bangalee collaborators. This institution should make every Bangladeshi proud.

Akku Chowdhury is reluctant to take any financial help from the government or any political parties to maintain the nonpartisan reputation of the Museum. The Museum is publishing documents related to Bangladesh’s liberation war. The greatest success of the Museums probably lies reaching the children of Bangladesh. “Those children must know the history of our liberation war and the exertion Bangalees have been through”, proclaims one visitor. For the last few years the Museum has been trying to inspire young people to know about our history through its ambitious campaign known as “Outreach Program”. The Outreach Program, chiefly organized by Akku Chowdhury spread its messages to 9200 school children from 60 schools in year since February 2000. The program reached more than 9300 school and college students the following year. Freedom Carnival 2002 (Shadhinota Utsab), with the aim of creating and nourishing the spirit of freedom in younger generations, was a part of its ‘Outreach Program’. Last year in March, the Museum organized a get-together that brought in over 7000 participants from schools from different parts of the country.

This get together was basically a carnival, festival of fun, a way to get out for the day and enjoyment. The carnival distributed prizes to successful quiz-takers, and had food stalls, games, music and finally a raffle draw. The carnival also had displays of Liberation War images and displays of artifacts along with a Mobile Museum. Live bands and on sale of patriotic posters and bandannas produced were added attractions. The Mobile Museum contained mainly documents, newspaper cuttings etc and documented the history of Bangladesh beginning 1947. At one end of the carnival a “mini-museum” was put up; weapons and navy equipment were on display. There was a diary of a freedom fighter opened at a random page and an old copy of the constitution.

Akku Chowdhury and Dr. Zafar Iqbal during the carnival [Courtsey: The Daily Star]

Critics argue that history of Bangalees’ Liberation War has been marred by all the unsavory politics surrounding it. Bangladesh is a nation where the biggest event of national pride has been fainted by politics. Parties come and parties go and facts are mutilated, textbooks are altered and the history of '71 lies in an ugly bewildering turmoil. We have a right to feel proud of our history and we have a right to access our history without shameless politics trying to tarnish the truth.

Outreach attempts a clean way for future generations to look back at the war. There will be a time when everybody with first hand experience of the Liberation War will pass away. Time will go on and the spirit of independence will become a strong and undeniable part of our history, Liberation War Museum being at the heart the spirit.

--- Written by Zakaria Khondker