Article section

Article title
Contributor
Abstract
About article
DOI
Citation style
Copyright
Open access
References
Research Article

The Continuing Legacy of the Liberation War: Youth Perceptions on National Identity and Civic Awareness in Bangladesh

Authors

Abstract

The Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 signified the dawn of a new era of liberty and sovereignty. The nine-month-long bloody war was a natural fallout of West Pakistan's muddled politics, cultural repression, and lopsided economic relations with the eastern part. After proclaiming independence, Bangladesh took on the challenging trek/journey of government formation, eager to secure equitable growth of the economy, social progress, and democratic leadership. This research investigates the extent to which the Liberation War of Bangladesh continues to impact the national identity and civic awareness of the young generation. The study adopted a qualitative research design to explore the views of youth on independence, national integration, growth, and cultural identity. Primary data were collected through structured, in-depth interview. 54 youths were selected as the sample of this study following purposive sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis techniques. The findings show that people view the War of Liberation as a very important part of their history and that it has been a source of great pride. Besides recognizing that some goals of the war have been met, they also acknowledge that a considerable number of problems still exist. The research reiterates the significance of democratic governance, economic advancement, and social justice in creating a state that could realize the noble objectives that were set through the Liberation War. This study uniquely illuminates how the Liberation War continues to shape the national identity, civic consciousness, patterns of engagement, and cultural awareness. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers and educators seeking to strengthen national cohesion and build a more engaged young generation capable of advancing Bangladesh’s vision of a prosperous, just, and united society.

Keywords:

Bangladesh Liberation War Post-Liberation Qualitative Study Youth Perception

Article information

Journal

Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Science

Volume (Issue)

2(3), (2025)

Pages

66-75

Published

21-10-2025

How to Cite

Islam, M. R., Banna, H., & Tabassum, T. (2025). The Continuing Legacy of the Liberation War: Youth Perceptions on National Identity and Civic Awareness in Bangladesh. Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, 2(3), 66-75. https://doi.org/10.69739/jahss.v2i3.959

References

Abedin, M. M., Ferdaus, M., Shah, A. M., & Sayem, M. A. (2021). The Role of Union Digital Centres in Reducing Social Inequalities in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Public Administration, 29(3). http://journals.bpatc.gov.bd/index.php/bjpa/article/view/100 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36609/bjpa.v29i3.100

Ahsan, A. H. M., Rumi, M. H., & Makhdum, N. (2025). A pill for every ill? Unpacking antibiotic misuse among Bangladeshi university students. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 20(1), 2509346. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2025.2509346 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2025.2509346

Ali, M. (2020). Challenges, Prospects and Role of Insurance on Economic Growth in Bangladesh (SSRN Scholarly Paper 3552634). https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3552634

Asadullah, M. (2006). Educational Disparity in East and West Pakistan, 1947-71: Was East Pakistan Discriminated Against? Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Oxford University Economic and Social History Series.

Asadullah, M. N., & Chakravorty, N. N. T. (2019). Growth, governance and corruption in Bangladesh: A re-assessment. Third World Quarterly, 40(5), 947–965. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2019.1599854 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2019.1599854

Balaly, M. H., Islam, M. R., Makhdum, N., Shah, A. M., & Banna, H. (2025). From Traditional Marketplace to Online Shop: Shifting Shopping Patterns among University Students in Bangladesh. Journal of Information Systems and Informatics, 7(2), 1673-1695. https://doi.org/10.51519/journalisi.v7i2.1137 DOI: https://doi.org/10.51519/journalisi.v7i2.1137

Banu, L. S. (2009). Defining the Design Deficit in Bangladesh. Journal of Design History, 22(4), 309–323. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epp046 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epp046

Banu, N. (2022). Governance for COVID-19 in Bangladesh. In 5th World Congress on Disaster Management (Volume I). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003341956-47

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (Fifth edition). Oxford University Press.

Chowdhury, F. (2017). A Study of Entrepreneurship Development in Bangladesh: Pros and Cons. Journal of Asian Scientific Research, 7, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.2/2017.7.1/2.1.1.11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.2/2017.7.1/2.1.1.11

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed). SAGE Publications.

Ferdaus, M., Rumi, M. H., Shah, A. M., & Abedin, M. M. (2023). Impacts of Covid 19 on Textile Industry Workers in Bangladesh: Socio-Economic Perspective Muhammad Ferdaus. 5th World Congress on Disaster Management (Volume III, pp. 216–226). https://api.taylorfrancis.com/content/chapters/edit/download?identifierName=doi&identifierValue=10.4324/9781003341963-28&type=chapterpdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003341963-28

Haque, R., Parr, N., & Muhidin, S. (2020). Climate-related displacement, impoverishment and healthcare accessibility in mainland Bangladesh. Asian Population Studies, 16(2), 220–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2020.1764187 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2020.1764187

Hassan, M., & Nazneen, S. (2017). Violence and the breakdown of the political settlement: An uncertain future for Bangladesh? Conflict, Security & Development, 17(3), 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2017.1319695 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2017.1319695

Hossain, A. A. (2015). Contested National Identity and Political Crisis in Bangladesh: Historical Analysis of the Dynamics of Bangladeshi Society and Politics. Asian Journal of Political Science, 23(3), 366–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/02185377.2015.1073164 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02185377.2015.1073164

Hossain, D. (2015). Bangladesh in 2015. Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09250

Islam, M. R., Sayem, M. A., Makhdum, N., & Bhuiyan, M. L. (2025). Barriers to Effective Digital Local Governance: A Qualitative Insight on Municipalities in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Public Administration, 32(1). http://icpad.bpatc.org.bd/index.php/bjpa/article/view/1188

Islam, S. S. (2016). Good governance and political culture: A case study of Bangladesh. Intellectual Discourse, 24(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.31436/id.v24i2.913

Jahan, I. (2015). Development in Rural Bangladesh: A Critical Ethnography [Doctoral, Durham University]. https://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11431/

Khan, A. S., & Tabbasum, G. (2022). War Memories and Peacebuilding in “From East Pakistan to Bangladesh.” Journal of Communication and Cultural Trends, 4(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.32350/jcct.41.04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/jcct.41.04

Khan, M. M., & Islam, Md. S. (2014). Democracy and Good Governance in Bangladesh: Are They Compatible? Millennial Asia, 5(1), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0976399613518855 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0976399613518855

Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. Sage Publications.

Makhdum, N. (2024). Enhancing Public Service Delivery Efficiency through AI: Current Initiatives and Future Prospects in Bangladesh. Journal of Information Systems and Informatics, 6, 3226–3245. https://doi.org/10.51519/journalisi.v6i4.969 DOI: https://doi.org/10.51519/journalisi.v6i4.969

Makhdum, N. (2025). Navigating the Future: Bangladesh’s Adaptive Strategies to Attenuate the Effects of Fourth Industrial Revolution. https://doi.org/10.71359/ferv8t86 DOI: https://doi.org/10.71359/ferv8t86

Makhdum, N., Hossain, M., & Chowdhury, S. (2024). Behind the Seams: An Insight into Work-Life Balance of Garments Workers in Bangladesh. 7, 167–183. https://doi.org/10.71213/jss.july2409 DOI: https://doi.org/10.71213/jss.july2409

Makhdum, N., Islam, N., Rumi, M. H., & Rashid, M. H. (2022). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Rural People on Antibiotic Usage: Bangladesh Perspective. Journal of Health Management, 24(2), 213–221. https://doi.org/10.1177/09720634221088067 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09720634221088067

Makhdum, N., Rumi, M. H., & Islam, N. (2022). Measuring Quality of Public Participation in the Local Government of Bangladesh. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 12(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v12i1.19279 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v12i1.19279

Makhdum, N., Rumi, M., & Muyeed, A. (2021). Gender Differences in Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Antibiotic Usage in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Public Administration (BJPA), 29. https://doi.org/10.36609/bjpa.v29i2.102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36609/bjpa.v29i3.102

Mamun-ur-Rashid, M. (2023). Quality of government secondary school services in regional Bangladesh. Heliyon, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12674 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12674

Muhammad, B. H. (2015). Controlling corruption through e-governance: Case evidence from Bangladesh [Report]. Chr. Michelsen Institute. https://open.cmi.no/cmi-xmlui/handle/11250/2475041

Nahar, N. (2020). What drives absenteeism among doctors in rural primary healthcare setting in Bangladesh? A qualitative exploration. European Journal of Public Health, 30(Supplement_5), ckaa165.938. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.938 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.938

Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y

Rahman, M., & Bari, E. (2018). Pathways to Bangladesh’s sustainable LDC graduation: Prospects, challenges and strategies. In Bangladesh’s Graduation from the Least Developed Countries Group. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429491924-4

Rahman, M. M. (2020). Linguistic diversity and social justice in (Bangla)desh: A socio-historical and language ideological perspective. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 41(4), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2019.1617296 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2019.1617296

Rahman, Md. A. (2018). Governance matters: Climate change, corruption, and livelihoods in Bangladesh. Climatic Change, 147(1), 313–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2139-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2139-9

Ranjan, A. (2016). Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971: Narratives, Impacts and the Actors. India Quarterly, 72(2), 132–145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0974928416637921

Riaz, A. (2020). Three Decades of Bangladeshi Politics (1990-2019): The Emergence and Collapse of the Political Settlements. Journal of Governance, Security & Development, 1(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.52823/LVRO4766 DOI: https://doi.org/10.52823/LVRO4766

Rumi, M. H., Bala, S., Shah, A. M., Sayem, M. A., & Abedin, M. M. (2021). Future tradeoff under fourth industrial revolution in Bangladesh: A study on RMG sector. International Journal of Social, Political and Economic Research, 8(1), 198–215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46291/IJOSPERvol8iss1pp198-215

Rumi, M. H., Makhdum, N., Rashid, Md. H., & Muyeed, A. (2021a). Gender Differences in Service Quality of Upazila Health Complex in Bangladesh. Journal of Patient Experience, 8, 23743735211008304. https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735211008304 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735211008304

Rumi, M. H., Makhdum, N., Rashid, Md. H., & Muyeed, A. (2021b). Patients’ Satisfaction on the Service Quality of Upazila Health Complex in Bangladesh. Journal of Patient Experience, 8, 23743735211034054. https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735211034054 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735211034054

Rumi, M. H., Rashid, M. H., Makhdum, N., & Nahid, N. U. (2020). Fourth industrial revolution in Bangladesh: Prospects and challenges. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Legal Studies, 2(5), 104–114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34104/ajssls.020.01040114

Saikia, Y. (2011). Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh: Remembering 1971. Duke University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9780822394280

Sarker, D. (2015). Inclusion of disabled people in microfinance institutions: Where does Bangladesh stand? DOI: https://doi.org/10.18775/ijied.1849-7551-7020.2015.11.2007

Shah, A. M. (2025). Digitalization of Tobacco Taxation in Bangladesh: Reducing Evasion and Enhancing Public Health. Journal of Information Systems and Informatics, 7(1), 122–137. https://doi.org/10.51519/journalisi.v7i1.988 DOI: https://doi.org/10.51519/journalisi.v7i1.988

Siddiqui, H. (2019). The Myth of ‘Bengali Migration’ to Arakan Debunked (SSRN Scholarly Paper 3334098). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3334098 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3334098

Talukdar, S., Rumi, M. H., & Makhdum, N. (2020). Language barrier in getting quality education and employment for CHT indigenous people in Bangladesh. North American Academic Research, 3(12), 323–341.

Zaman, S. (2021). Chapter 7: Researching the garment sector in Bangladesh: fieldwork challenges and responses. https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap/edcoll/9781800376311/9781800376311.00013.xml DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800376328.00013

Downloads

Views

0

Downloads

0