Bangladeshis will come together this year to mark the nation's 40th anniversary of independence.
The celebration comes at a time when the Bangladesh government, now under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, is making its second attempt to bring to account Bengalis alleged to have collaborated with the Pakistan military during the 1971 war of independence.
The struggle against the Pakistan military, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, had widespread national support.
However, there remained some Bengalis — particularly members of Islamist parties, like the Jamaat-e-Islami — who during the independence war collaborated with the Pakistan military and continued to support a unified Pakistan.
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