Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid glowing tributes to the martyred intellectuals by placing wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur here this morning, marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day.

On behalf of the premier, her Military Secretary Major General Naqib Ahmed Chowdhury laid the wreath around 7.05am to pay homage to the great heroes of the country. The day is being observed on a limited scale due to Covid-19 situation.

Just two days ahead of the country’s final victory for independence on this day 50 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.

As many as 200 illustrious sons of the soil, including professors, journalists, doctors, artistes, engineers and writers, were abducted from their respective residences blindfolded during December 10 to 14 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 put 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 killers’ wrath on December 14, 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 is being observed as the Martyred Intellectuals Day.