Bangladesh observing Martyred Intellectuals Day today

The nation is set to observe the Martyred Intellectuals Day today to commemorate the intellectuals killed systematically by the Pakistan occupation forces and their local collaborators at the fag-end of the Liberation War in 1971.

On this day in 1971, the country's renowned academicians, doctors, engineers, journalists, artists, teachers and other eminent personalities were dragged out of their homes, blindfolded and taken to unknown places and then brutally tortured and murdered.

Their bodies were later dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and a few other killing fields in the capital.

Sensing an imminent defeat, the Pakistani forces and their local collaborators such as Al-Badr, Al-Shams and Razakar committed the cold-blooded mass murders aiming to annihilate the country's intelligentsia and cripple emerging Bangladesh intellectually.

Among the martyred intellectuals were Prof Munier Chowdhury, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Prof Muniruzzaman, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Prof GC 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.

The government has chalked out elaborate programmes to commemorate the 14 December tragedy.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will pay rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals at 7:05am while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 7:06am at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.

The family members of the martyred intellectuals and freedom fighters under the leadership of the Liberation War Affairs minister will pay homage to the martyred intellectuals at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard at 7:20am and at Rayer Bazar Intellectuals Memorial at 8:30am.

The president and the prime minister have issued separate messages marking the day.

The president in his message said, "I call upon all to play an effective role from their respective positions to build 'Sonar Bangla' imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War and the sacrifice of the Martyred Intellectuals."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message urged all irrespective of party affiliation to get united against the killers of 1971, war criminal Jamaat-e-Islami and fundamentalists and perform their duties from their respective positions to continue the development spree of the country by resisting all conspiracies of anti-democratic forces.

Leaders and activists of different political and social organisations will also pay homage to the martyred intellectuals at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.

Special doa and munajat will be offered at mosques, temples and churches marking the day.

Bangladesh Television and private television channels will broadcast special programmes highlighting the significance  of the day.