9th ULAB Lit Salon with Dr. Nusrat Rabbee
The Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) hosted the 9th ULAB Literary Salon with Dr. Nusrat Rabbee on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the auditorium of the ULAB Research Building. The Literary Salon is an initiative of the Department of English and Humanities at ULAB to bring together writers, readers, thinkers, and publishers from Bangladesh and other South Asian countries in an interactive setting. Dr. Nusrat Rabbee, daughter of martyred intellectual cardiologist Dr. Fazle Rabbee and Dr. Jahan Ara Rabbee, was here to discuss her memoir The Spirit of 1971.
Prof. Shamsad Mortuza, Special Advisor to the ULAB Board of Trustees, moderated the discussion with Dr. Nusrat Rabbee, an eminent scientist and author of The Spirit of 1971: A Memoir of Dr Mohammed Fazle Rabbee and Dr Jahan Ara Rabbee. Dr. Rabbee stated that the book is divided into three parts where she captured memories starting from 1961 to the end of the war in 1971. The book is not just a memoir, however, but a roadmap of how the country “Bangladesh” was born. Dr. Rabbee advised the audience to know why the war was fought.
Dr. Nusrat Rabbee reminisced about her childhood with her parents as Prof. Mortuza requested her to share, and reconstructed her parents from her memory. With deep emotion, she described how amazing and dedicated her father was as a physician. She also shared the contribution of her mother in the health sector and population control management of East Pakistan and Bangladesh. Both of her parents had a positive influence on the people of this country.
During the discussion, Dr. Rabbee also reflected on the imbalance, discrimination and inequality that was present between West Pakistan and East Pakistan. She briefly talked about the heinous military attack that started with the mass killing on March 25, 1971, under “Operation Searchlight” and ended with the killing of the intellectuals on December 14, 1971. She also stated that Pakistan targeted the intellectuals as they were the blueprint of the nation. The intellectuals had the ability to shape the cultural, social, and political fabric of the country.
Dr. Rabbee told Prof. Mortuza that she translated the memoir into English as it was necessary to let the world know about the genocide which is still unknown to many. She empathized with the need for international recognition of the genocide that took place during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
Later, students read out excerpts from the book to give the audience an idea of what the book is about. There was a question-answer session at the end of the discussion in which people actively participated. Some people asked questions, while some shared their insights on the Liberation War. Dr. Nusrat Rabbee then requested the audience to restore and uphold the spirit of 1971.
ULAB's Board of Trustee members, the French ambassador to Bangladesh, parliamentarians Suborna Mustafa and Nahid Ezahar, students and teachers of ULAB, and the family members of the martyrs graced the event with their vivid presence. Mrs. Ameenah Ahmed, a member of the Board of Trustees, at ULAB, ended the program by thanking Dr. Nusrat Rabbee and the guests of the event. She also handed a crest and gift hamper to Dr. Nusraat Rabee as a token of appreciation. The program ended with a Liberation war song in memory of the people who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country.
Report by Kifayat Jahan Zerin (222013018)
