Online Desk: President Mohammed Shahabuddin today paid rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals by placing wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur here marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day.

The head of the state placed the wreath at the memorial at 7.05am to pay tributes to those who lost their lives just two days before Bangladesh’s final victory during the War of Liberation in 1971.

After placing the wreath, President Shahabuddin stood in solemn silence for some time as part of profound respect to the martyred intellectuals while the bugle played the last post.

 Earlier, on his arrival at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq and other dignitaries concerned welcomed the president there.

On the day 52 years ago, just two days ahead of the country’s cherished victory for independence, the Pakistani occupation forces in collusion with their local collaborators — Al-Badr, Razakar and Al-Shams — killed country’s most distinguished intellectuals in a bid to cripple the newly emerging Bangladesh intellectually.

As many as 200 illustrious sons of the soil, including professors, journalists, doctors, artistes, engineers and writers, were abducted from their respective residences blindfolded and made them hostage from December 10 to December 14 in 1971. They were taken blindfolded to torture cells at Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Nakhalpara, Rajarbagh and other spots in different city parts.

Subsequently, they were shot to death en masse at different killing grounds, most notably Rayerbazar and Mirpur.
 
Those who were exposed to the killers’ wrath on December 14, 1971 included Dr Alim Chowdhury and Dr Fazle Rabbi, Journalists Shahidullah Kaisar, Sirajuddin Hossain, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan and Selina Parveen and litterateur Munier Choudhury.

Since then, the day is being observed as the Martyred Intellectuals Day.