5:11 pm - Wednesday March 27, 6650

President, PM pay tributes to martyred intellectuals

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid profound tributes to the martyred intellectuals by placing wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals Mausoleum at Mirpur on the occasion of Martyred Intellectuals Day.

The President placed the wreaths at 6.50 am to show his homage to the great heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the country and the nation.

President Abdul Hamid was received by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Shipping and Liberation War Affairs Minister Shajahan Khan, reports BSS.

Intell dayThe President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence there for some time as the bugle played the last post.

After placing the wreaths, the President and The Prime Minister also talked to the war- wounded freedom fighters and family members of the martyred intellectuals there and enquired about their well-being.

A smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces gave a state salute, while the bugle played the last post at that time. Members of the cabinet, chiefs of the three services and high civil and military officials were present.

The Prime Minister later went to Dhanmondi in the capital and placed wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of BangabandhuMemorialMuseum marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day. Ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, parliament members and senior Awami League leaders including Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Begum Matia Chowdhury, Syed Ashraful Islam, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dr Dipu Moni, Dr Hasan Mahmud, Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku and Advocate Qamrul Islam were present.

On the night of 14 December in 1971, over 200 Bangalee intellectuals including professors, journalists, doctors, artistes, engineers, and writers were picked up in Dhaka by the Pakistani occupation forces, aided by their local collaborators.

The intellectuals were taken blindfolded to torture cells in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Nakhalpara, Rajarbagh and other locations in different parts of the city and later executed en masse at different killing grounds, most notably Rayerbazar and Mirpur.

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


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