Martyred Intellectuals Day

2022-12-14T14:08:58Z

2A0A:A547:37A2:0:DC1B:FA29:C188:8701:

{{Short description|Commoration observed on 14 December in Bangladesh}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox holiday
|holiday_name = Day of the Martyred Intellectuals
|type = National
|longtype =
|image = A Partial View of Rayerbazar Boddhobhumi-1.JPG
|caption = [[Martyred Intellectuals Memorial]] at [[Rayer Bazaar]], [[Dhaka]]
|official_name = {{lang-bn|শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী দিবস }} {{lang|bn-Latn|Shaheed Buddhijibi Dibôsh'}}
|nickname =
|observedby = [[Bangladesh]]
|significance = Commemoration of [[1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals|executions of Bengali intellectuals]]
|duration = 1 day
|frequency = Annual
|scheduling = same day each year
|date = 14 December
|celebrations =
|observances =
|relatedto =
}}

'''Martyred Intellectuals Day''' ({{lang-bn|শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী দিবস|Shaheed Buddhijibi Dibôsh}}) is observed on 14 December in [[Bangladesh]] to commemorate those intellectuals [[1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals|who were killed]] by [[Pakistan Army|Pakistani forces]] and their collaborators during the [[Liberation War of Bangladesh|Bangladesh Liberation War]], particularly on 25 March and 14 December 1971.<ref name=Rahman>{{cite book |last=Rahman |first=Syedur |title=Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh |year=2002 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-81-7094-588-8 |page=196 |author2=Craig Baxter|author2-link = Craig Baxter}}</ref><ref name=Banglapedia>{{citation |author=Muazzam Hussain Khan |chapter=Killing of Intellectuals |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Killing_of_Intellectuals |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |editor=Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] |year=2012 |edition=Second}}</ref> 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 [[Victory day of Bangladesh|16 December]], Bangladesh became independent through the [[Pakistani Instrument of Surrender|surrender of Pakistani forces]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=How Pakistan surrendered in 1971 |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2006/dec/20jacob.htm |work=Rediff}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|Bangladesh Liberation War|1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals}}
[[File:Shahid Buddhijibi Koborsthan-Rezowan.JPG|thumb|Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Memorial and Graveyard]]
The [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] against the country West 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— [[East Pakistan Central Peace Committee|Shanti committee]], [[Razakars (Pakistan)|Razakars]], [[Al-Badr (East Pakistan)|Al-Badr]] and [[Al-Shams (East Pakistan)|Al-Shams]]—abducted and killed front-line Bengali intellectuals and [[professional]]s in order to cripple the new nation intellectually.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.oneindia.in/2007/12/14/bangladesh-observes-martyred-intellectual-day-1197628649.html |title=Bangladesh observes Martyred Intellectual Day |date=14 December 2007 |work=[[Oneindia]]}}</ref> Renowned academics, [[teacher]]s, 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=2331520&date=2012-12-14 |title=DU set to observe Martyred Intellectuals Day, Victory Day |work=The News Today |access-date=14 December 2022}}</ref>

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'' (Day of the Martyred Intellectuals).<ref>Shahiduzzaman. "[http://www.newagebd.com/2005/dec/15/murdered/murdered.html No count of the nation's intellectual loss]" {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201162513/http://www.newagebd.com/2005/dec/15/murdered/murdered.html |date=1 December 2010 }}. ''The New Age'', 15 December 2005.</ref>

Notable intellectuals who were killed during the time period of 25 March to 16 December 1971 in different parts of the country include Dhaka University professors [[Govinda Chandra Dev]] (philosophy), [[Munier Chowdhury]] (Bengali literature), [[Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury]] (Bengali literature), [[Anwar Pasha]] (Bengali literature), [[Dr Abul Khair|Abul Khair]] (history), [[Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta]] (English literature), Humayun Kabir (English literature), [[Rashidul Hasan]] (English literature), [[Ghyasuddin Ahmed]], [[Sirajul Haque Khan]], [[Faizul Mahi]], [[Santosh Chandra Bhattacharyya]]<ref name=Gallows>{{cite news |title=Gallows for Mueen, Ashraf |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/gallows-for-mueen-ashraf/ |newspaper=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |date=3 November 2022}}</ref> and Saidul Hassan (physics), Rajshahi University professors Hobibur Rahman (mathematics), Sukhranjan Somaddar (Sanskrit), and Mir Abdul Quaiyum (psychology), as well as [[Mohammed Fazle Rabbee]] (cardiologist), [[AFM Alim Chowdhury]] (ophthalmologist), [[Shahidullah Kaiser]] (journalist), [[Nizamuddin Ahmed]] (journalist),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://adnan.quaium.com/blog/56|title=Story of a Martyred Intellectual of 71's war|work=Adnan's Den|access-date=10 February 2015|date=13 December 2022}}</ref> [[Selina Parvin]] (journalist), [[Altaf Mahmud]] (lyricist and musician), [[Dhirendranath Datta]] (politician), [[Jahir Raihan]] (novelist, journalist, and film director) and [[Ranadaprasad Saha]] (philanthropist).<ref name="daily-sun2">{{cite news|url=http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_03-05-2013_ICT-issues-arrest-order-against-Mueen,-Ashrafuzzaman_485_1_2_1_0.html |title=ICT issues arrest order against Mueen, Ashrafuzzaman|work=[[Daily Sun (Bangladesh)|Daily Sun]] |date=3 May 2013 |access-date=3 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104105107/http://www.daily-sun.com/details_yes_03-05-2013_ICT-issues-arrest-order-against-Mueen%2C-Ashrafuzzaman_485_1_2_1_0.html |archive-date=4 November 2013 }}</ref><ref name="DS-Tamanna">{{cite news |last=Khan |first=Tamanna |date=4 November 2013 |title=It was matricide |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/it-was-matricide/ |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=7 November 2022}}</ref>

==Memorial==
{{main|Martyred Intellectuals Memorial}}
[[File:2. শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী স্মৃতিসৌধ.jpg|thumb|Rayerbazar Martyred Intellectuals Memorial]]
In memory of those killed, a memorial known as the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial (''Badhya Bhumi Smriti Soudha'') was built at Rayer Bazaar,<ref name=Momen>{{cite book |last=Momen |first=Abul |title=The Bangladesh Reader: History, Culture, Politics |year=2013 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-5318-8 |page=403 |editor1=Meghna Guhathakurta |editor2=Willem van Schendel}}</ref> [[Mohammadpur Thana]] in [[Dhaka]], in 1996–99.<ref name="mdpurthana">{{cite book |last=Ahmed |first=Syed Shabbir |year=2012 |chapter=Mohammadpur Thana (Dhaka Metropolitan) |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Mohammadpur_Thana_%28Dhaka_Metropolitan%29 |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> The memorial was designed by architect Farid U Ahmed and Jami Al Shafi.<ref name="Farid U Ahmed and Jami Al Shafi">{{cite book |last=Amin |first=Md. Shahidul |year=2012 |chapter=Badhya Bhumi Smriti Soudha |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Badhya_Bhumi_Smriti_Soudha |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Zaman |first=Mustafa |date=12 December 2003 |title=Icons of History |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2003/12/02/coverstory.htm |work=Star Magazine |publisher=The Daily Star}}</ref><ref name="seven icon">[http://www.mediabangladesh.net/articles.details.php?recordID=10 Seven Icons of History at Dhaka]</ref> The initial proposal for a memorial at Rayer Bazar was brought forward by Projonmo 71 (organisation of the children of the martyrs of liberation war), who also laid a temporary foundation stone in 1991.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

==See also==
*[[Operation Searchlight]]
*[[1971 Bangladesh genocide]]
*[[Bengali Genocide Remembrance Day]]
*[[Rape during the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Bangladesh Liberation War}}
{{Intellectualism}}

[[Category:Remembrance days]]
[[Category:December observances]]
[[Category:1971 Bangladesh genocide]]
[[Category:Aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:Persecution of intellectuals]]

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Martyred Intellectuals Day