http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/12/14/bangladesh-observes-first-martyred-intellectuals-day-after-execution-of-key-war-criminal
Bangladesh observes first Martyred Intellectuals Day after execution of key war criminal Suliman Niloy, bdnews24.com Published: 2015-12-14 11:56:08.0 BdST Updated: 2015-12-14 16:16:36.0 BdST Bangladesh is for the first time observing the Martyred Intellectuals Day after the execution of the first war criminal charged with the mass killing of the country’s brightest minds on the eve of liberation in 1971. The country pays homage on December 14 to intellectuals who had fallen victims to a brutal Pakistani military regime. On this day, in 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces had, in a pre-determined orgy of violence, killed university teachers, doctors, artists, writers, journalists and eminent Bengalis after picking them up from their homes in Dhaka. With defeat looming large, the Pakistani army carried out the mass slaughter, hoping to stunt the emerging country’s rise after its independence. Razakars, and members of Al-Badr and Al-Shams had actively collaborated with the Pakistani forces in carrying out the slaughter two days before the latter’s surrender on Dec 16, 1971. Bodies bearing the marks of gruesome torture were found in Dhaka’s Mirpur and Rayerbazar areas that, in course of time, came to be known as the ‘killing grounds’. On Monday, the nation honoured the country’s best children by paying floral tributes at the memorials erected to them at those killing fields. Of the four war criminals sentenced to death for their involvement in the heinous crime, Al Badr commander Ali Ahsan Md Mujahid was executed on Nov 22. For 44 years Bengalis lived with the stigma of having failed to bring the criminals to justice. Mujahid’s hanging removed that scar finally. On this day, President Md Abdul Hamid said in a message, “The dreams of the martyred intellectuals will be fulfilled if our present and future generations follow the ideals and path shown by them to build a society based on the principles of the Liberation War and secularism. “Let the ideals of the martyred intellectuals be our guiding light.” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in her message that the killing of the intellectuals was a ‘revenge for defeat’ by those opposing the country’s independence. She said all the war crimes verdicts will be executed. “No conspiracy will succeed in derailing the nation from that path. মেধাবী সন্তানদের হত্যার সেই দিন “Those who are trying to protect the notorious elements that stood against humanity will be brought to justice, too. The implementation of the verdicts will cleanse the nation of the blot that had tainted it.” In her message, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said, “The collaborators of the occupation forces had imagined that the killing of the nation’s best children would leave the newly independent state of Bangladesh intellectually devastated. But their aim has been frustrated.” She added, “We must unite and sincerely fulfil our individual responsibilities to ensure the state’s democratic development and to transform the country into a prosperous, self-reliant, and powerful state. The martyred intellectuals will forever inspire us in this endeavour.” The International Crimes Tribunal set up to try suspected war criminals delivered its first verdict on the killing of intellectuals on Nov 3, 2013. Two Al-Badr leaders, Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan, were sentenced to death for war crimes. The tribunal also sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami to death after charges of killing intellectuals levelled against him were proved. Nizami, a president of the then Islami Chhatra Sangha, has appealed against the death penalty. The verdict in his appeal case is due on Jan 6. The Pakistani army had set up a camp in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur Physical Training Institute to train Razakars and members of the Al-Badr, who stood against the country’s independence. The court had learnt that Islami Chhatra Sangha president Nizami and its secretary general Mujahid were regular visitors to that camp. The verdict against both leaders said these two men were in league with senior Pakistani army officers in launching the massacre of the intellectuals from Dec 10, 1971. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
