Sense of solace after over four decades

Martyred Intellectuals' Day will be a bit different this year for some children of martyred journalists as they witnessed for the first time in around 44 years implementation of their demand for trying and hanging one of the killings' masterminds.

The day is being observed today by, among others, Dhaka University, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, BNP, the Communist Party of Bangladesh and National Awami Party.

Expressing their thoughts at a book launching yesterday, the descendents thanked the government for carrying out the execution of Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed in the first hour of November 22 and demanded the same for two others at large.

Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan, Al-Badr leaders, were handed down death penalty in November 2013 for abducting and killing 18 intellectuals near the end of the 1971 Liberation War, are now in the UK and US respectively.

They could not be brought back yet due to different legal complications as per International Crimes Tribunals' sources.

The Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators, sensing their defeat just days earlier, had abducted and murdered many of the Bangalee intelligentsia to deprive the emerging nation of its brightest luminaries.

Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) organised at its office in the capital the launching of its book "Bangladesher Muktijuddhe Shaheed Sangbadik" containing biographies of 13 martyred journalists.

The 13 are Serajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Khondakar Abu Taleb, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan (Ladu Bhai), ANM Golam Mostafa, Syed Nazmul Haque, AKM Shahidullah (Shaheed Saber), Abul Bashar, Shivsadhan Chakraborty, Chishti Shah Helalur Rahman, Muhammad Akhtar and Selina Parveen.

Actress Shomi Kaiser, daughter of writer-novelist Shahidullah Kaiser, urged the government to prepare and make public the first complete list of martyred intellectuals.

Urmi Mostafa, daughter of Golam Mostafa, said, "I was born after 1971. I have never experienced my father's love."

She opined that if the intellectuals' works were highlighted, the new generation would realise what they had lost.

Serajuddin Hossain's son journalist Zahid Reza Noor criticised the electronic media for broadcasting war criminals Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury's near simultaneous executions "as if they were famous personalities".

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said Pakistan led the horrific killings out of vengeance. "But the trial of war criminals is not being conducted out of vengeance but to ensure justice for victims," he said.

Prime Minister's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Prof Golam Rahman of Dhaka University's mass communication and journalism department, and journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul also spoke while PIB Board of Directors Chairman Golam Sarwar presided over the discussion.

OBSERVANCE

Dhaka University hoisted black flags at important buildings at 6:15am.

Teachers, students, officials and staff gathered at Aparajeya Bangla's base at 6:30am and head off to place wreaths at graves and memorials inside the campus and at Martyred Intellectuals' Memorial in Mirpur.

A discussion will be held at the Teacher-Student Centre auditorium around 11:00am, presided over by Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique. Dhaka University Film Society will arrange a programme on the Smriti Chirantan premises at 5:30pm.

Sammilito Sangskritik Jote will hold a discussion at Rayer Bazar Martyred Intellectuals' Memorial at 4:00pm as a part of its eight-day programme beginning yesterday.

Chairperson Khaleda Zia will lead BNP in offering wreaths at the Mirpur memorial at 8:30am. BNP will hold a discussion at Jatiya Press Club at 3:00pm. In a statement, Khaleda offered condolences to the bereaved families.

In another statement, opposition leader in parliament Rowshan Ershad termed the killings "most heinous".

Communist Party of Bangladesh will place wreaths at the Rayer Bazar memorial in the morning. Moreover, National Awami Party will hold a discussion at the Shishu Kalyan Parishad auditorium in Topkhana at 3:30pm.