Martyred Intellectuals Day today

The nation pays rich tribute to the martyred intellectuals today amid rising demands for trial of the war criminals, who had systematically killed the prominent Bangalee intellectuals and professionals at the fag end of the war on this day in 1971.
Renowned academics, doctors, engineers, journalists, teachers and other eminent personalities were dragged out of their residences, blindfolded, taken to unknown places to be brutally tortured and slaughtered. Their bodies were later dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and some other killing fields in the capital.
The cold-blooded killing was carried out under a carefully thought out plan to cripple the emerging Bangladesh intellectually, as the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams (mostly comprised of leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front) sensed the imminent defeat.
The martyred intellectuals include Prof Muneir Chowdhury, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Prof Muniruzzaman, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Prof GC Dev, JC Guha Thakurta, Prof Santosh Bhattacharya, Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, journalists Khandaker Abu Taleb, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan (Ladu Bhai), ANM Golam Mustafa, Syed Nazmul Haq and Selina Parvin.
Demanding trial of the war criminals, Sector Commanders' Forum, a platform for the sector commanders of the Liberation War, and different political parties and social organisations will observe two-minute silence at the Intellectuals Memorial at Rayerbazar and Mirpur in the capital at 4:30pm.
The forum had urged all pro-liberation forces to observe two-minute silence simultaneously at all memorials and graveyards of martyred intellectuals or their respective areas forming human chains and wearing black badges on left arm.
Besides, the Bikkhubdha Deshbashi (Aggrieved Countrymen) will form a human chain for an hour starting at 10:30am today at Rayerbazar Intellectuals Memorial demanding trial of the war criminals.
Expatriate Bangladeshis in New York, Boston, Washington DC, Atlanta, Florida, Toronto, London, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and Belgium will form human chains demanding trial of 1971 war criminals, who had opposed the Liberation War.
Thirty-six years have passed with the families of the martyred intellectuals still waiting to see the killers and perpetrators being brought to justice.
Till March 1973, a total of 42 cases were filed against the Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams but over the years the files of the cases gathered dust only.
Demands for trial of war criminals were raised with renewed force recently when Jamaat leaders claimed that there is no war criminal in the country and the Liberation War in 1971 was nothing but a civil war. Different pro-liberation political parties, socio-cultural organisations and the freedom fighters raised voice against the war criminals and asked the government to begin trial of the war criminals.
Dr MA Hasan, an expert on war crimes during the Liberation War and convenor of War Crimes Fact Finding Committee, in a letter to the chief adviser said that Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was the president of Islami Chhatra Sangha in 1971 and he was in a leading position of Dhaka city Al Badr Bahini, one of the groups involved in the killing of the intelligentsia.
Dr Hasan said that most of the current leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and members of Nezam-e-Islami and Muslim League were collaborators of the Pakistani army in committing war crimes that included systematic killings of the intellectuals.
NATION REMEMBERS MARTYRED INTELLECTUALS
To commemorate the tragedy that took place only two days before the victory in the Liberation War, different socio-cultural and political organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes, including seminars, discussions and wreath-laying at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals graveyard and Intellectuals Memorial at Rayerbazar.
National flags will be hoisted at half-mast along with black flags. The president, the chief adviser and leaders of different political parties will place floral wreaths at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals graveyard in the morning.
President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday delivered separate messages on the eve of the Martyred Intellectuals Day.
The University of Dhaka has arranged elaborate programmes to pay respect to the martyred intellectuals, many of whom were teachers of the university.
Black flags will be hoisted at vice chancellor's residence and all residential halls and buildings of the university at 6:30am. Teachers, students and officials of the university will gather at the Aparajeo Bangla at 7:00am and place floral wreaths at the graveyards of the martyred intellectuals at university central mosque premises and Jagannath Hall. They will also pay tribute at the Mirpur Intellectuals Memorial.
A discussion will be held at the TSC auditorium at 10:30am with Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz in chair.
Awami League leaders will place floral wreaths at Mirpur and Rayerbazar memorials and hold a discussion at party central office in the afternoon.
Both factions of BNP also have taken separate programmes to observe the day.
Shaheed Dr Fazle Rabbi Foundation will hold a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club at 3:30pm marking the death anniversary of the martyred intellectual.
Bangla Academy will hold a Martyred Intellectuals memorial lecture today at 3:30pm at the academy premises where Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury will deliver the lecture with Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid in the chair.
Sammilita Sangskritik Jote will hold a discussion at Intellectuals Memorial at Rayerbazar today at 4:00pm.
Projonmo 71 will hold a day long event at the Intellectuals Memorial at Rayerbazar.
Communist Party of Bangladesh, Gono Forum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Democratic Left Front, Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Solidarity Movement, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal, Nazrul Institute, National Awami Party (NAP), Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Dhaka Reporters Unity will also observe the day with different programmes.