A meet the press session was held at the La Galerie of the Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) in the city’s Dhanmondi area recently to introduce a series of exceptional events to be organised on the occasion of the commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the World War-I. Babou Kamichetty, Deputy Head of Mission of the French Embassy in Bangladesh, Tariq Ali, Trustee of the Liberation War Museum, Dr Iftekhar Iqbal, Associate Professor of Department of History of University of Dhaka, Dr Syeda Rozana Rashid, Associate Professor of Department of International Relations of University of Dhaka and Olivier Litvine, Director of the AFD) spoke at the conference. Olivier Litvine in his speech said, “The exhibition, which is available to view online, is already being used in French schools as a teaching resource. Therefore, different educational institutions are going to organise students visit to war and colonies photo exhibition to be held at La Galerie of the AFD from February 25 to March 8. Interested persons willing to attend to the international conference on war and colonies to be held on February 25 and 26 at the Senate Hall of University of Dhaka may register online on the event website,” he added. 2014 will mark the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the World War-I, a tragic conflict that has shaped world history ever since. On the occasion of the commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the World War-I, the AFD is organising an exhibition and an international conference on the theme of ‘War and colonies.’ The exhibition will showcase 35 rare photographs of colonial troops in the great war and the conference will bring together French, German, Irish, American, Indian and Bangladeshi historians who will present papers related to the chosen theme. Though it will be touching on the relationship between World War-I and the colonies from diverse angles, this two-day seminar will offer an exceptional focus on Bengal during the period, with no less than five papers devoted to it, said the organisers.
