HISTORICAL MEMORY IN THE POLITICAL LIFE OF THE CONTEMPORARY PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

This article examines the influence of historical memory on the political life of the contemporary People's Republic of Bangladesh. The significance of this study means the attempt to comprehensively analyze the reflection of significant events in Bangladesh's history on the contemporary political agenda, including the events of the July Revolution of 2024. Key historical events, the Language Movement of 1952, and the Liberation War of 1971 are often not only remembered by various political and social forces in contemporary Bangladesh but can also be used in political struggles or to justify their legitimacy. One of the central unresolved issues is the punishment of war criminals of 1971. This problem was one of the leading themes of the 2009 election campaign. The subsequent events related to the trial of several alleged war criminals and the associated protests demonstrated the high political and social relevance of the events of the 1971 Liberation War. The unresolved issue of the trial of war criminals was part of the public discourse of the Shahbag social movement in 2013, as well as the movement for the abolition of quotas in 2018 and 2024. One of the most significant complaints against the government of Sheikh Hasina (in power from 2009 to 2024) was the excessive exploitation of the historical events of the Liberation War to justify its own authoritarian regime and the fight against political opponents. Presenting herself as the guardian of the ideals of the Liberation War, Sheikh Hasina not only consistently secured her regime's monopoly on historical truth but also frequently accused her political opponents of complicity in the 1971 war crimes or of the “anti-liberation” nature of their actions or views