Dhaka, March 27 -- The war stories of 55 years ago still burn vividly in the memory of octogenarian freedom fighter Mahfuz Alam Beg. Reflecting on that legacy of glory, he often finds himself pondering how far, and in what way, the country has progressed.

Looking back on more than five decades of Bangladesh, born out of the bravery of freedom fighters, he says the journey evokes a mix of hope and disappointment. For that reason, he likens the country's trajectory to a childhood arithmetic problem about "a monkey climbing up and slipping down a greased bamboo pole".

At an event making the release of the third volume of "Bangladesh, Penned in Blood", a Liberation War-focused compilation by bdnews24.com on Thursday, the veteran fighter, be...