The nation will observe the Martyred Intellectuals’ Day today (Wednesday) commemorating the killing of the illustrated sons of the soil two days before the country’s victory through a nine month bloody war in 1971.
Sensing a humiliating defeat, Pakistani forces with their local collaborators–Rajakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams– picked up leading Bengali intellectuals and professionals on December 14, 1971, from their houses and killed them with a heinous design to cripple a newborn nation intellectually. Eminent academics, teachers, writers, doctors, engineers, journalists and other important personalities were picked up from their houses, blindfolded and were killed. Their bodies were dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and also at other places in Dhaka just two days before the Pakistani forces, led by General Niazi, surrendered on December 16, leading to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent country.
The martyred intellectuals included Prof Munir Chowdhury, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Prof Muniruzzaman, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Prof G C Dev, JC Guha Thakurta, Prof Santosh Bhattacharya, Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, journalists Khandaker Abu Taleb, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan (Ladu Bhai), ANM Golam Mustafa, Syed Nazmul Haq and Selina Parvin.
President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages paid rich tributes to the memories of the martyred intellectuals.
The President, in his message, said the supreme sacrifice made by the intellectuals would ever remain fresh in the history of the nation.
Terming the intellectuals as the greatest sons of the soil, he said the nation suffered an irreparable loss for the killing of the intellectuals.
He called upon all to be imbibed with the spirit of the Liberation War and work together for developing a knowledge-based nation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message on the occasion said the Martyred Intellectuals Day is one of the blackest chapters in the history of struggle of the Bangalee nation “When the final victory was imminent under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all times, the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators—Razakar, Al- Badr and Al-Shams — brutally killed the intellectuals in a planned way to make Bangalee nation devoid of merit and leadership,” she said.
The anti-liberation forces launched attacks on teachers, writers, journalists and politicians, she said, adding that steps have been taken to bring the war criminals under trail.
She said the martyred intellectuals will remain alive at the national life through their works, ideology and patriotism. “The nation will never forget their dedication,” she said.
Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia in a message paid rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals.
The day’s programme will begin with placing of wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur in the capital early in the morning.
President Zillur Rahman will lay wreathes at the memorial at Mirpur. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will arrive at the memorial at 6.30am and place wreathes at 6.35am.
The Prime Minister will leave the memorial venue at 6.45am.
State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Captain (retd) AB Tajul Islam, along with, children of martyred intellectuals, will place wreaths at the memorial at 6.50am.
Later, it would be made open at 7am to different political and socio-cultural organizations and people of all walks of life.
Different political and socio-cultural organisations have drawn up programmes to observe the occasion in a befitting manner.
Courtesy of The Independent
