BNP pays homage to martyred intellectuals

BNP leaders and activists paid glowing homage to the martyred intellectuals who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with some party senior leaders laid floral wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur, Dhaka at 9:30 am on Saturday.

They stood in a solemn silence there for some time as a mark of respect to the great national heroes who lost their lives for the cause of the country.

Key leaders present at the ceremony included Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Dr Moin Khan, Dhaka Metropolitan North Convener Aminul Islam, and Dhaka Metropolitan South Convener Abdus Salam, among others.

Following the BNP leadership's tributes, various affiliate bodies of the party also placed wreaths to honour the martyred intellectuals.

Talking to reporters after placing the wreath, Fakhrul recalled the self-sacrifices of the intellectuals in the country’s Liberation War.

He urged all to take a vow to build a self-reliant, democratic Bangladesh to materialise the dream of the martyred intellectuals.

BNP kept the national flag at half-mast and hoisted black flags atop all its, including the Nayapaltan central one, to mark the day.

The party arranged a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on Friday in observance of the day.

Earlier in the morning, wreaths were laid first by the president and then the chief adviser, as citizens from all walks of life gathered at the memorial to pay their respects to the fallen intellectuals.

On this day in 1971, the country’s renowned academicians, doctors, engineers, journalists, artists, teachers and other eminent personalities were dragged out of their homes, blindfolded and taken to unknown places and then brutally tortured and murdered.

Their bodies were later dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and some other killing fields in the capital.