Recognising martyred intellectuals as freedom fighters

THE nation observes martyred intellectuals day every year by paying tributes to the intellectuals who were brutally murdered just two days before Pakistan army surrendered to the allied forces of our liberation war. Some renowned intellectuals were picked up and killed by the collaborators of Pakistan army. The nation can never forget their supreme sacrifices in achieving victory.

Renowned academics, teachers, intellectuals, doctors, engineers, journalists and other eminent personalities were dragged out of their houses, blindfolded, and killed. Their bodies were dumped in Rayerbazar, Mirpur, and other killing grounds in Dhaka just two days ahead of the final victory of the war. The role of intellectuals was not just limited to nine months of our liberation war, but the relentless struggle that they fought through the ages is unforgettable. The intellectuals were always at the front line of our defence against colonial rule and perpetrators of hegemony, exploitation and repression. Their participation in the language movement, movement for autonomy, and mass upsurge of 1969 and the monumental sacrifices made by them in our war of liberation can hardly be overemphasized. Some of them participated directly in frontal war while others inspired us through their writings. It is disappointing that their names were not included in the list of our freedom fighters. I would like to urge upon the government to include the names of the intellectuals who laid down their lives for the cause of liberation.

Abul Khaer

Tangail

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