Nation mourns martyred intellectuals

The nation observes Martyred Intellectuals Day on Wednesday with due solemnity to recall the intellectuals who were murdered by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators on this day in 1971.

The Pakistani forces and their collaborators, at the fag end of the War of Independence, sensing their imminent defeat, systematically murdered prominent Bengali intellectuals and professionals two days before independence with the aim to cripple the emerging nation intellectually.

On the occasion, the national flag will be hoisted at half-mast along with black flags across the country.

Different political and socio-cultural organisations as well as people from all walks of life would place wreaths at the memorials of martyred intellectuals at Rayerbazar and Mirpur in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country in the morning. President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages on the eve of the day, recalled the contributions of the slain intellectuals.

Two days before their surrender, the Pakistani military and their local collaborators — Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams members — abducted members of the Bengali intelligentsia, took them blindfolded to army camps or killing grounds with their hands tied.

They never returned.

They took away writers, scientists, singers, teachers of universities and other educational institutions, researchers, journalists, lawyers, physicians, engineers, architects, artists, filmmakers and theatre workers and cultural activists.

The decomposed bodies of many of them were later found in ditches, water bodies along with the killing fields on the outskirts of Dhaka and in the mass graves around the country.

The discovery of the blindfolded, mutilated bodies of many martyred intellectuals shocked the nation as well as the world.

Immediately after independence, December 14 was declared as Martyred Intellectuals Day by Tajuddin Ahmed, the country’s first prime minister.

To mark the day, different socio-cultural and political organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes, including seminars, discussions in addition to placing wreaths at the memorials at Mirpur and Rayerbazar.

To observe the day, the ruling Awami League will hoist black flag at the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office, Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi and other offices of the party across the country in the morning and keep the national and party flags at half mast.

The party will place wreaths at the Intellectual Memorial in Mirpur at 8am.

AL leaders and workers will also place wreaths at Sheikh Mujib’s portrait at the Bangabandhu Bhaban at 8:30am and at Rayer Bazar Baddhya Bhumi at 9:00am, said a press release.

Opposition BNP would hoist the national flag along with the party flag at half mast and black flag at its central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka and all the party offices across the country on the day.

It is also scheduled to place wreaths at the memorials for the martyred intellectuals at Mirpur and Rayerbazar in Dhaka.

Dhaka University has planned programmes to pay respect to the martyred intellectuals, many of whom belonged to the university.

Black flags will be hoisted at the vice-chancellor’s residence, other buildings and all the dormitories of the university in the morning.

Besides, special prayers will be offered at the DU central mosque and other mosques in residential halls after Johr prayers seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of the martyrs, a press release said.