The Rayerbazar Martyred Intellectuals Memorial, a site of brutal killings during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, sees attention mainly on Martyred Intellectuals Day, with neglect, robbery, and drug use prevalent at other times.
In the final moments before Bangladesh’s victory in 1971, Pakistani forces, along with local collaborators including Razakars, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams, targeted the nation’s intellectuals — teachers, journalists, writers, artists, doctors, philosophers, lawyers, and politicians. Many were abducted, tortured, and killed in an attempt to weaken Bengali society.
After the war, bound and mutilated bodies of these intellectuals were discovered at Rayerbazar and Mirpur killing fields. Many bodies were never identified. To commemorate this massacre, Bangladesh observes Martyred Intellectuals Day every year on December 14.
Site visits reveal that the memorial only receives attention in the lead-up to December 14. For the rest of the year, due to administrative negligence, the site is often used by drug users and petty criminals. Visitors have reported being robbed or facing unsafe situations.
A visit to the site on December 10 found heaps of garbage around the premises. Renovation work is underway, including brick replacement and cement layering. Preparations for cleaning ahead of Martyred Intellectuals Day are ongoing, with visitor entry temporarily prohibited.
Local residents told Dhaka Tribune that the memorial is only given importance on December 14. Ahsan Habib, a nearby resident, said: “The memorial was built to remember the martyred intellectuals, but most of the year, the site remains as dirty as a junkyard.”
He added: “Authorities restrict entry 15 days before the day and clean the site temporarily, but then it is left neglected. Inside, local rowdies gather, and visitors are often robbed. Even though authorities know about this, no effective measures have been taken.”
Professor Mezbaha Uddin, another local resident, said: “Throughout the year, no one takes proper care of the site. Garbage piles up, and drug use and theft occur inside. Negligence by the administration has turned this historic site into a den for criminals. People responsible only collect salaries but do not maintain it. Many visitors leave disappointed and never return, despite the site’s immense historical significance to the Bengali nation.”
Mamunur Rashid, a teacher at a private university, emphasized the need for strengthened security, saying, “Rayerbazar Martyred Intellectuals Memorial is directly connected to the Liberation War. It is the government’s responsibility to preserve and maintain it. Incidents of theft have occurred multiple times, and proper visitor protection is essential.”
Visitors from Gazipur, including Tarikul Islam and his children, reported being denied entry by guards due to ongoing renovation, with access promised only after December 14.
Md Faruk Hossain, contractor for the renovation under the Public Works Department, told Dhaka Tribune that the house inside the memorial had not been cleaned for over 20 years. “We have now fully cleaned it. During previous administrations, responsible officials only collected salaries, and renovation budgets were not used.”
Hossain added that the site had previously been a haven for drug users and vagrants, but security has now been strengthened. Boundary wall repairs and gate construction are ongoing, along with other necessary interior renovations. Once completed, the site will be reopened to visitors.
