Online Desk :
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid their tributes to the martyred intellectuals of 1971, as the nation observes Martyred Intellectuals Day.
Their homage was presented at the Martyred Intellectual Monument in Mirpur on Tuesday.
On behalf of President Md Abdul Hamid, his military secretary Major General S M Salah Uddin Islam placed the wreath at the monument this morning to pay tributes to those who lost lives days before Bangladesh’s final victory in the War of Liberation in 1971. And on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her Military Secretary Major General Naqib Ahmed Chowdhury laid the wreath around 7.05 am to pay homage to the great heroes of the country.
On this day 50 years ago, just two days ahead of the country’s final victory for independence the Pakistani occupation forces in collusion with their local collaborators — Al-Badr, Razakar and Al-Shams — killed country’s most distinguished intellectuals in a bid to cripple the newly emerging Bangladesh intellectually.
As many as 200 illustrious sons of the soil, including professors, journalists, doctors, artistes, engineers and writers, were abducted from their respective residences blindfolded and made them hostage during December 10 to 14 in 1971.
They were taken blindfolded to torture cells at Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Nakhalpara, Rajarbagh and other spots in different city parts.
Subsequently, they were put to death en masse at different killing grounds, most notably Rayerbazar and Mirpur.
Those who were exposed to the killers’ wrath on December 14, 1971 included Dr Alim Chowdhury and Dr Fazle Rabbi, Journalists Shahidullah Kaisar, Sirajuddin Hossain, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan and Selina Parveen and litterateur Munier Choudhury.
Since then, the day is being observed as the Martyred Intellectuals Day.
Like last year, the day is still being observed in a limited scale due to COVID-19 pandemic situation.
