On the occasion of Martyred Intellectuals Day on Wednesday, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina lavishly honored the intellectuals who had died in battle.
At the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur, the President first laid a wreath before the Prime Minister followed suit.
They observed a period of sad silence while paying utmost respect to the memory of the esteemed sons of the soil.
A state salute was given by a group of Bangladeshi military personnel dressed in finery.
Hasina, who is also the President of the Bangladesh Awami League, lay a new wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial while being flanked by the party’s top officials.
Later, the Prime Minister spoke with the families of the intellectuals who had been killed in battle and the injured liberation fighters.
Hasina next traveled to Dhanmondi in the capital to honor the Martyred Intellectuals Day by laying a wreath at the bust of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.
She stood there for a while after laying the wreath as a sign of utmost respect for Bangabandhu, who was the driving force behind Bangladesh’s independence.
Over 200 intellectuals, including educators, journalists, literary critics, writers, doctors, scientists, attorneys, artists, philosophers, and political thinkers had been abducted in Dhaka on the night of December 14, 1971, with the assistance of the Pakistani occupation troops’ local allies.
The intellectuals were brought blindfolded to the torture chambers in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Nakhalpara, Rajarbagh, and other places throughout the city. They were then executed in large numbers at various execution sites, most notably Rayerbazar and Mirpur.
The day has since been recognized as Martyred Intellectuals Day.
