Martyred Intellectuals Day is observed on 14 December in Bangladesh to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces and their collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War, particularly on 25 March and 14 December 1971. The killings were undertaken with the goal of annihilating the intellectual class of what was then East Pakistan. Two days after the events of 14 December, on 16 December, Bangladesh became independent through the surrender of Pakistani forces.
History
The Bangladesh Liberation War against the countryWest Pakistan, began on 26 March 1971, grew into the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and ended with the victory of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. On 14 December, sensing imminent defeat, Pakistani forces and their local collaborators— Shanti committee, Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams— abducted and killed front-line Bengali intellectuals and professionals in order to cripple the new nation intellectually. 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. During the nine-month duration of the war, the Pakistani Army, with the assistance of local collaborators systematically executed an estimated 991 teachers, 13 journalists, 49 physicians, 42 lawyers, and 16 writers, artists and engineers. Even after the official ending of the war on 16 December there were reports of killings being committed by either the armed Pakistani soldiers or by their collaborators. In one such incident, notable filmmaker Jahir Raihan was killed on 30 January 1972 in Mirpur allegedly by the armed Beharis. In memory of the persons who were killed, 14 December is observed in Bangladesh as Shaheed Buddhijibi Dibôsh. Notable intellectuals who were killed from the time period of 25 March to 16 December 1971 in different parts of the country include Dhaka University professors Dr. Govinda Chandra Dev, Dr. Munier Chowdhury, Dr. Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury, Dr. Anwar Pasha, Dr Abul Khair, Dr. Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta, Humayun Kabir, Rashidul Hasan, Ghyasuddin Ahmed, Sirajul Haque Khan, Faizul Mahi, Dr Santosh Chandra Bhattacharyya and Saidul Hassan, Rajshahi University professors Dr. Hobibur Rahman, Prof Sukhranjan Somaddar, Prof Mir Abdul Quaiyum as well as Dr. Mohammed Fazle Rabbee, Dr. AFM Alim Chowdhury, Shahidullah Kaiser, Nizamuddin Ahmed, Selina Parvin, Altaf Mahmud, Dhirendranath Datta, Jahir Raihan and Ranadaprasad Saha.
