President, PM pay tributes to Bangabandhu, martyred intellectuals

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day.

The head of the state placed the wreath at the memorial at 7:05am to pay tributes to those who lost their lives just two days before Bangladesh's final victory during the War of Liberation in 1971.

After placing the wreath, President Shahabuddin stood in solemn silence for some time as part of his profound respect for the martyred intellectuals while the bugle played the last post.

Earlier, on his arrival at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq and other dignitaries concerned welcomed the president there.

PM Hasina first paid homage to the martyred intellectuals by laying a wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur.

After placing the wreath, the premier stood in solemn silence for some time to show profound respect to the martyred intellectuals.

A smartly turned-out contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces gave a state salute while the bugle played the last post at that time.

Later, flanked by party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Awami League, placed another wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial as the chief of her party.

The prime minister also exchanged pleasantries with the family members of the Martyred intellectuals.

Then, she went to Dhanmondi Road No 32 in the capital and laid a wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum there to pay homage to the architect of the Independence Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

After placing the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time to show profound respect to the great leader of Bangladesh.

Just two days ahead of the country's final victory for independence on this day 52 years back, the Pakistani occupation forces with the help of their local collaborators-- Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams-- killed the most prominent intellectuals of the country.

Several hundred illustrious sons of the soil, including professors, journalists, doctors, artists, engineers and writers, were abducted from their respective residences blindfolded from 10-14 December in 1971.

They were first taken blindfolded to torture cells at Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Nakhalpara, Rajarbagh and other clandestine locations in different parts of the city.

Subsequently, they were shot to death en masse at different killing grounds, most notably Rayerbazar and Mirpur, in a bid to cripple the newly emerging Bangladesh intellectually.

Those who were exposed to the killer's wrath on 14 December, 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 has been observed as the Martyred Intellectuals Day.