Crowds swarm Martyred Intellectuals Memorial to pay homage to Bangladesh's sharpest minds

People from all walks of life have gathered in droves at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Dhaka's Mirpur to honour the nation’s brightest minds who were brutally murdered in 1971.

On Saturday, thousands of people, young and old, observed National Martyred Intellectuals Day by paying their respects to those who were killed on this day during the Liberation War.

On Dec 14, 1971, as the defeat of the Pakistani forces loomed, the occupation army, aided by local collaborators like the Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, carried out a targeted massacre. Their aim was to intellectually cripple the nation by killing its teachers, journalists, doctors and artists. The bodies of the slain intellectuals were discarded in mass graves at sites like Rayerbazar and Mirpur.

To honour their sacrifice and preserve their memory, the nation commemorate this day every year, reports bdnews24.com.

This year, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and President Md Shahabuddin led the tributes by laying wreaths at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in the morning. Later, the memorial was opened to the public.

Shariful Islam, a government employee, brought his young daughter to the memorial from Badda. “I want the new generation to know our history.”

“That’s why we’re here, to ensure this memory is instilled in their minds. These intellectuals were the nation’s finest.”

Jahidul Islam, who came with his wife from Mirpur-1, said, “In 1971, our intellectuals and brightest minds were taken from their homes and brutally massacred. We came to pay homage to their memory.”

Reflecting on the killing of the intellectuals, freedom fighter Abdur Rahman, visiting from Shewrapara, said the massacre was part of a deeply calculated plan to rob the nation of its intellect. "I'm here in remembrance of that brutality.”

Muntaha Tabassum, an eighth-grader from Agargaon’s Taltola area, was visiting the memorial with her father.

“We’ve read about these intellectuals in our books. That’s why I came to honour them. I was here last year too,” she said.

As the day wore on, the crowd at the memorial began to thin.

In addition to the national ceremony, political, social, and cultural organisations across the country organised events to remember the nation’s heroes. Newspapers published special articles and supplements, while discussions were held at district and Upazila levels.

Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and private TV channels aired special programmes marking the occasion. Prayers and services were also held in mosques, temples, churches, pagodas, and other places of worship across the country.