President and Chief Advisor Honor Martyred Intellectuals

Today marks Martyred Intellectuals Day, observed with various programs organized by the government. As part of these initiatives, President Md. Shahabuddin and the Chief Advisor of the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, paid homage to the nation's finest sons and daughters at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur, Dhaka.

 

On Saturday (December 14) at 7:05 a.m., the President was the first to offer floral tributes, followed by the Chief Advisor. Both stood in solemn silence for some time to honor the memory of the martyred intellectuals.

Earlier, in a message commemorating Martyred Intellectuals Day, President Md. Shahabuddin stated that the sacrifices of the martyrs would only be meaningful if a non-communal, prosperous, and equitable new Bangladesh could be built, rooted in the ideals of the Liberation War.

 

In his message, Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus remarked that Martyred Intellectuals Day is a tragic day in Bangladesh’s history. He highlighted that during the final days of the Liberation War, knowing their defeat was imminent, the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators brutally murdered the nation’s brightest intellectuals in an attempt to strip Bangladesh of its intellectual leadership.

 

Notably, just two days before the final victory of the nine-month-long Liberation War, on December 14, 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators carried out the heinous killings of the country’s best intellectuals to intellectually cripple the nation.

 

In remembrance of this tragic event, Bangladesh observes Martyred Intellectuals Day every year on December 14.