Our lost luminaries and the light they still shine 

It was a barbaric act, driven by a sadistic and calculated plan to cripple a nation for generations.

On the dark and tragic night of 14 December 1971, as the Pakistani forces and their collaborators faced imminent defeat in the Bangladesh Liberation War, they resorted to a ruthless final act, eliminating the brightest minds of the country. 

The massacre targeted scholars, teachers, doctors, journalists, lawyers, engineers and artistes - individuals who represented the intellectual and cultural strength of the nation. 

These individuals were not only critical in shaping the cultural and educational landscape of Bangladesh, but they were also key players in the resistance against Pakistani rule.

On that night, the Pakistan occupation forces and its local collaborators abducted these individuals from their homes, taking them to undisclosed locations where they were murdered in cold blood. 

Their bodies were discarded at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and other killing fields across Dhaka. 

The brutality of the killings was evident, with many of the victims found with their hands bound behind their backs and their bodies mutilated. Some had their intestines torn out - a gruesome reflection of the barbarity they endured.

While 14 December is remembered as the day of the massacre of intellectuals, the systematic elimination of these individuals started as early as 25 March, going all the way to 10 December. Over 200 intellectuals were killed on those days, but the total number of intellectuals killed surpasses 1,000. 

Among the martyred intellectuals are Prof Munier Chowdhury, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Prof Muniruzzaman, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Prof Govinda Chandra Dev, Jyotirmoy 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.

The architect of this ghastly campaign was Major General Rao Farman Ali Khan, who played a crucial role in orchestrating the killings. As the chief military officer responsible for overseeing the local militias, or razakars, during the war, Rao Farman was directly involved in deploying these collaborators to carry out the murders. 

After the war, a chilling discovery was made --- a list of intellectuals, many of whom were executed on 14 December, was found in Farman's diary at the Governor House (now Bangabhaban).

Human Rights Watch, commenting on the nature of these atrocities, said the systematic elimination of Bangladesh's intellectuals was a "direct attack on the nation's future and its collective memory". 

Irina Bokova, a former director-general of UNESCO, called the loss of these intellectuals an attack on the "very soul of the nation".

Despite this calculated attempt to destroy Bangladesh's intellectual and cultural capital, the perpetrators failed in their mission. Instead of breaking the spirit of the nation, the massacre galvanised the population, strengthening their resolve to secure independence. 

The sacrifices of these intellectuals became a powerful symbol of the nation's resistance and resilience. In the aftermath of the war, the country emerged victorious and independent, but the scars left by the genocide were deep. 

To honour the memory and sacrifices of the martyred intellectuals, Bangladesh declared 14 December as Martyred Intellectuals Day in 1992. The first memorial was built in Mirpur, Dhaka in memory of the martyred intellectuals. 

In 1991, construction of another memorial named the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial began in Rayerbazar, Dhaka, which was inaugurated on 14 December 1999.

The significance of the day has deepened as the nation heals from 15 years of autocratic rule, marked by a mass uprising that claimed over a thousand lives and left countless others injured and maimed.

On Martyred Intellectuals Day, the nation comes together to pay tribute to these luminaries. 

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus placed wreaths at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Memorial, and people from all walks of life participated in laying wreaths at the memorial, beginning from 8:30am. 

Leaders and activists of different political and social organisations, including the BNP and its affiliated organisations, also paid homage to the martyred intellectuals. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman issued a message to honour the intellectuals' memory.