Let’s follow the path showed by martyred intellectuals

Today is 14 December, the Martyred Intellectuals Day. The day returns to us every year reminding us that the illustrious sons of the soil were killed systematically at the fag-end of the liberation war in 1971. We recall the day with heavy heart.

The nation's litterateurs, artistes and intelligentsia were targeted by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators from the very beginning of the liberation war. But sensing their imminent defeat, they chalked out a special programme aiming to cripple the emerging nation intellectually. They made a list of writers, educationists, physicians, journalists, engineers and other sections of intelligentsia and killed them en-masse. Another example of the way the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators killed the intelligentsia is very rare.

On this day we are recalling the memories of professor GC Dev, Jyotirmoy Guha Thakurta, Munier Chowdhury, professor Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, Dr Anwar Pasha, Rashedul Hasan, journalists Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, professor Santosh Bhattacharya, Nizamuddin Ahmed, Giasuddin Ahmed, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Dr Alim Chowdhury, journalist-litterateur Selina Parvin and sympathise with their families.

Our litterateurs, artists, journalists and intelligentsia were the voice of the nation during the oppressive rule of the Pakistani rulers. They showed ways to the politicians and nation in the struggle against the colonial rule of Pakistan. This is why they were made victims of such cold-blooded murder.

Our duty does not end only in remembering the illustrious sons, who laid their lives for the nation, on a special day. It is essential to realise how much we have followed their dreams about Bangladesh. We must bear their teachings in the heart and inform the new generation why they laid their lives. We must teach our new generation about the persons who opposed the liberation war in 1971 and were involved with the killings of intellectuals. The task is very important.

After a long waiting, several top killers were convicted and their sentences were executed. But the convicted al-Badr commander Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan are still hiding abroad. Both of them have played central roles in planning and executing the intellectuals. It is not being possible to bring them back and execute them. We have heard many initiatives of the government but its execution is still facing a big question.

The intellectuals proved that one can make supreme sacrifice for the country, humanity, above all for independence.

Observing the day would be most successful if we bear their teachings in the heart and work accordingly to build a beautiful Bangladesh. Let’s pledge on this Martyred Intellectuals Day that we shall work to build the Bangladesh they had dreamt of.