Naib Uddin News Today

A boy, barely out of childhood, holds a grenade in his hand. His gaze, although defiant, also holds a flicker of innocence, a boyish vulnerability peeking through the steely resolve. Flanking him on either side stand two older teenagers, rifles aimed towards the enemy.

In classical Urdu epics, kings would transmigrate their lives into a bird and lock it away in a secured place. To kill the king, one had to go after the bird.

Three young boys in their teen years, one standing, ready to throw a grenade, two others kneeling down, their rifles pointed afar; the photograph drips with their grit and intent, and it has become a symbol of the Liberation War. The photo, "Muktijuddhe Tin Kishore", is an ubiquitous presence in newspapers and invitation cards marking Victory Day and Independence Day events.