A large number of people gathered at the Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard in Mirpur, Dhaka, to pay their respects to the nation's most brilliant minds.
On Sunday (December 14), President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus initiated the day's tribute by placing wreaths at the martyrs' graves.
Following the state dignitaries, the memorial premises were opened to the general public. Leaders and activists from various political parties, professional organizations, and people from all walks of life came one by one to pay their respects.
The Brutal Massacre on the Eve of Victory
It is noted that on December 14, 1971, in the final stages of the nine-month bloody War of Liberation, just as Bengalis were on the verge of ultimate victory, members of the Razakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams, and Peace Committee collaborators engaged in the brutal massacre of the country's intellectuals.
This horrific systematic extermination of Bengali talent during the final moments of victory stunned the entire world.
Just two days before the surrender of the Pakistani occupation forces, on the night of December 14, 1971, the killing squad abducted nearly 150 intellectuals and accomplished people from various professions in Dhaka city alone, blindfolding them and taking them to unknown locations.
Under the cover of curfew that night, teachers, journalists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, artists, litterateurs, cultural activists, and high-ranking government and non-government officials were dragged out of their homes based on a list. They were subsequently murdered and their bodies were left scattered in the silent, desolate darkness.
The following morning, the lifeless bodies of the intellectuals were found scattered in the ditches of Mirpur and the brick-kilns of Rayerbazar in Dhaka. Some were riddled with bullets, while others were severely mutilated from inhuman torture.
Many had their hands tied behind their backs, and their internal organs were ripped out with bayonets. The joyous people, waking up to the near-touch of freedom, were horrified upon learning of the dark night when their loved ones were lost.
During the Bengali nation's long struggle for liberation, these intellectuals inspired the organizers of independence through their intellect, wisdom, and writings. They showed the path to freedom and motivated the entire nation in the fight for their rights. This dedication ultimately became the reason for their brutal end.
While December 14 is specifically remembered as the day of the Intellectuals Massacre, this most heinous crime in history began to unfold on December 10. Throughout that week, the names of countless brilliant and courageous people were added to the list.
This roster of distinguished intellectuals was later handed over to the notorious Al-Badr and Al-Shams forces. The military advisor to the then Governor of East Pakistan, Rao Farman Ali, was behind the scenes.
Starting primarily on December 10, the listed intellectuals were blindfolded, dragged from their homes in the dark of night, taken to the killing grounds of Rayerbazar and Mirpur, and brutally murdered by shooting and bayoneting. The final implementation of this monstrous blueprint occurred on December 14.
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