The nation has paid respects to the martyred intellectuals, who lost their lives at the hands of Pakistan army on this day 48 years ago just two days ahead of the country’s victory.

The marauding Pakistan army, in collusion with their local collaborators – Al-Badr, Al-Shams and Razakars, killed the most prominent intellectuals of the country in a bid to cripple the newly emerging nation of Bangladesh.

Thousands of people, from all walks of life, gathered on Saturday (Dec 14) to pay their respects at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur and in Rayerbazar.

The Pakistani troops and their Bengali-speaking collaborators carried out a systematic campaign to kill the most eminent academics and professionals like doctors, engineers and journalists to make the newborn nation to a state of brainlessness.

Those who were exposed to the killers’ wrath on Dec 14, 1971, included Dr Alim Chowdhury and Dr Fazle Rabbi, Journalists Shahidullah Kaisar, Sirajudddin Hossain, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan and Selina Parveen and litterateur Monier Chowdhury.