The Embassy of Algeria in Dhaka marked the National Day of Remembrance on Thursday (May 8), honoring the victims of the Sétif, Guelma, and Kherrata massacres.
Under the evocative theme "A People Sacrificed… and Triumphed," the event drew a significant audience of diplomats, community members, and dignitaries to reflect on one of the most tragic chapters of Algeria's colonial history.
The ceremony opened at 11:00 AM with the performance of the Algerian National Anthem and the solemn raising of the Algerian flag, followed by a one-minute silence observed in honour of the martyrs of 8 May 1945. A recitation from the Holy Quran was then offered by a Moulana, lending a spiritual dimension to the commemoration.
Ambassador Abdelouahab Saidani subsequently delivered the keynote address of the ceremony. In his speech, the Ambassador welcomed guests warmly, opening with greetings in both French and Bengali and recalled the historical events of 8 May 1945, when peaceful Algerian demonstrators marching to demand justice and freedom were met with brutal colonial repression.
He evoked the courage of BouzidSaal, shot for refusing to lower the Algerian flag, and the widespread violence that swept from Sétif to Guelma and Kherrata, claiming the lives of up to 45,000 victims.
Ambassador Saidani underlined that these events marked a decisive turning point in Algerian history, catalysingthe organised resistance that led to the formation of the National Liberation Front and ultimately to Algeria's independence on 5 July 1962.
He also drew a parallel between the Algerian struggle for self-determination and the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, reaffirming the bonds of shared history and brotherhood between the two peoples.
Following the Ambassador’s address, a documentary on the events of 8 May 1945 was screened for the audience, holding the room in attentive silence. A representative of the Bangladesh Scouts then shared reflections on the history of the 8 May 1945 massacres.
The programme closed with a poem recited in tribute to the martyrs, whose words drew visible emotion from the audience.
Throughout the ceremony, the ambience in the hall was one of profound solemnity and shared emotion. The room, filled beyond its intended capacity. Guests from widely different backgrounds sat side by side, united by a common spirit of remembrance.
During the Ambassador’s speech, the audience listened with visible attention and emotion, particularly at the evocation of BouzidSaal and the 45,000 victims.The screening of the documentary deepened the atmosphere of recollection, and the poem recited at the close of the programme brought the solemnity of the occasion to a moving conclusion. The overall spirit of the gathering was one of dignified remembrance, historical responsibility, and genuine solidarity.
