MARTYRED INTELLECTUALS DAY TRIBUTE : President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stand in solemn silence after laying wreaths at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals’ Memorial in the capital on Sunday morning. sun photo Mourners visited Rayerbazar and Mirpur war memorials on Sunday as the nation observed Martyred Intellectuals’ Day to pay homage to the intellectuals killed by Pakistani collaborators at the fag end of the 1971 liberation war. Carrying banners inscribed with the demand for trial of war criminals, the mourners in their multitudes, including women and children, thronged the memorials since daybreak to pay respects to the greatest sons of the soil. Sensing an imminent defeat, Pakistani forces and their local collaborators drew up a plan to annihilate the intelligentsia to cripple the emerging nation and picked up educationists, writers, journalists, physicians and cultural activists from their homes on December 14, took them blind-folded to killing grounds and murdered them in one of history’s most infamous intellectual pogroms. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed wreaths at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals’ Memorial around 8:00am. A contingent drawn from the three services played the last post there. They were followed by parliament speaker and deputy speaker, cabinet members, civil and military officials, leaders and activists of Awami League, other political parties and socio-cultural groups. Main opposition Jatiya Party Chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad also placed a wreath there. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia went to Mirpur along with her party colleagues at 10:00am and paid homage to the martyred intellectuals. The national leaders issued messages to mark the day. President Abdul Hamid in his message paid a profound respect to the best sons of the country. “The intellectuals had worked as the conscience of the nation in advancing the war towards the successful end. But main target of the occupation forces and their collaborators was to make the nation intellectually crippled.” The premier in her message said, “When the country was nearing final victory under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest sons were killed on December 14 by Pak occupation forces and their local auxiliary forces—Razakars, Al-Badar and Al-Shams.” She said her government brought war criminals and killers of martyred intellectuals to trial and the courts have started delivering verdicts on the criminals. “The verdicts must be executed.” Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies took adequate security in and around the two memorial sites. Marking the day, political parties, socio-cultural outfits, rights activists and people from all social strata renewed their call for immediate trial of the war criminals and the killers of the intellectuals. The altars of the memorials were bedecked with flowers as the mourners in processions filed past the memorials carrying banners inscribed with slogans like, “We want trial of all those involved in war crimes and human rights violations,” and “Bring war criminals to justice”. The day was observed amid various programmes, including discussions, human chains and silent processions. The national flag flew at half-mast atop all government offices and educational institutions. Jatiya Party, Democratic Left Alliance, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Gono Forum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Ganatantri Party, Sector Commanders’ Forum, Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, Swadhinata Foundation, National Press Club, Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Bangladesh Juba Moitree, Bangladesh Students’ Federation, Chhatra Oikya Forum, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangla Academy, Dhaka Union of Journalists, Sramajibi Mukti Andolon, Samajtantrik Mahila Forum, Dhaka University Teachers’ Association, Jagannath University and Bangladesh Nari Mukti Andolon and such showed respects to the martyrs and held discussions. In addition to placing wreaths at Rayerbazar and Mirpur memorials, Dhaka University students, teachers and staffers also paid respects to the martyrs at Jagannath Hall ground where DU teachers and students were killed and buried in a mass grave by Pakistani hyaenas.
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