President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday paid deep respect and rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals.
In separate messages on the eve of the day, the president and the prime minister urged the people to come forward being imbued with the ideology of the martyred intellectuals and the spirit of the Liberation War to build a non-communal, happy and prosperous “Sonar Bangla” as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The president, in his message, said the intellectuals, as the conscience of the nation, had played a very significant role with their sharp writings and intellect-based spirit to create public opinion in favour of the Liberation War, provide suggestions to the war-time Mujibnagar government in advancing the war towards its successful end.
But, unfortunately, the occupation forces and their local collaborators had brutally killed the country's eminent intellectuals, including academics, physicians, litterateurs, journalists and artistes just on the eve of the victory, causing an irreparable loss to the nation, he added.
The president called upon all to be imbued with the ideology of the martyred intellectuals and build a non-communal society based on the spirit of the Liberation War.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Martyred Intellectual Day is a shameful chapter in the history of Bangladesh as the Pakistani occupation forces, the anti-liberation forces, and their local collaborators killed eminent intellectuals at the fag-end of the Liberation War to turn the nation into a brain-empty state.
She said when the country was close to the final victory under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the intellectuals were killed by the occupation forces and their local cohorts like Al-Badars, Al-Shams, and Razakars.
The premier said Professor Mofazzal Haidar Chowdhury, Munier Choudhury, Anwar Pasha, Shahidullah Kaisar, Gias Uddin, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Abdul Alim Chowdhury, Siraj Uddin Hossain, Selina Parveen and Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta were among those who were killed by the occupation forces and their collaborators.
Sheikh Hasina also said the anti-liberation defeated forces assassinated Bangabandhu and most of his family members on August 15, 1975 and through this heinous killing; the anti-liberation forces started the politics of killing, coup, and conspiracy in the country.
The killers carried out repression and tortures on free thinkers, teachers, writers, journalists, and politicians, she added.
The premier said the terrorist and militant groups also carried out a reign of terror in the country from 2001 to 2006. After coming to power in 2009, Awami League government brought the killers of intellectuals, war criminals and those who committed crimes against humanity under trials.
The Awami League-led government has brought the killers of the martyred intellectuals under trial and has been executing many of the verdicts, she said, adding that those who wanted to save the heinous war criminals will also be brought to justice one day.
The nation will remember forever the sacrifice of the martyred intellectuals, she said calling upon the people to be united against the conspiracies of the killers of 1971 and war criminals and Jamaat-clique for continuation of development.
Marking the occasion, Bangladesh Awami League has drawn up elaborate programs marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day to be observed on Thursday.
The program includes hoisting of black flag atop the party's central Bangabandhu Avenue office, Bangabandhu Bhaban in city's Dhanmondi area and party offices across the country and keeping the national and party flags half-mast at the offices at the dawn, said a press release signed by Awami League Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua on Wednesday.
Awami League leaders and activists will pay homage to martyred intellectuals by placing wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur at 7am.
Leaders and workers of Awami League will place wreaths at Bangabandhu's portrait at Bangabandhu Bhaban at 7:30am and at Rayer Bazar Boddho Bhumi at 8:30am.
A discussion will be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) at 3pm on the same day. Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged the leaders and workers of the party and its associate bodies at all levels and the people to observe the day with due respect following the programs taken centrally.
