DHAKA: The nation paid rich tributes to the glorious sons of the country, placing floral wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals’ Memorial at Mirpur in the city on Sunday.

The day’s program began with paying tributes by President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Martyred Intellectuals’ at the Memorial at 8:00am.

Earlier, the premier received the president on his arrival at the mausoleum site at 7:50am.

The president and the premier stood in solemn silence awhile in respect to the country’s great sons after placing the floral wreaths.

After the placing of the wreaths, a smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces gave a state salute and bugle played the last post.

Then, both the President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence in front of the portrait for some time.

Then, they talked to the war-wounded freedom fighters and the family members of martyred intellectuals there and enquired about their wellbeing.

When the president left the place, Sheikh Hasina, also president of ruling Awami League, placed wreaths with party’s senior leaders there.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, AL Advisory Council Member lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta, State Minister for Science and Technology Yeafesh Osman, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and other central leaders of the party, among others, accompanied her.

Later, Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Jatiya Party Chairman and also special envoy to the premier HM Ershad also paid homepages to the great sons of the country.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia also paid homage to Martyred Intellectuals at 10:00am.

Leaders and activists of 14-party alliance, war-wounded freedom fighters and the family members of martyred intellectuals, and different political, social and cultural organizations paid rich tributes.

People from all walks of life also paid their pride-filled respects to the nation’s great sons, placing wreaths at the Memorial.

The December 14 is observed as the Martyred Intellectuals Day to commemorate the systematic execution of Bengali pro-liberation intellectuals during the 1971 Liberation War by the Pakistan Army and their local collaborators, most notably the Al-Badr.

The great sons of the soil were killed with an evil motive to make the Bengali nation meritless just two days before the country earned its victory.

On the occasion of the Day, President, premier, and Leader of the Opposition Rowshan Ershad, in separate messages, recalled the martyred intellectuals’ great contribution to the development of national consciousness.

In a message, the president urged the people to come forward being inspired with the spirit of Liberation War to build a knowledge-based happy and prosperous country.

He said intellectuals had played a very significant role and worked as the conscience of the nation in advancing the Liberation War towards the successful end.

The main aim of the occupation forces was to make the nation intellectually crippled, he added.

On the day, black badges had been worn, black flags had been hoisted atop, doa mahfil, qulkhwanis were held by different organizations.

On the night of December 14, 1971, over 200 Bengali intellectuals including professors, journalists, doctors, artistes, engineers, and writers were abducted 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.

BDST: 2019 HRS, DEC 14, 2014