During the First World War, he served in the Royal British Army, fought in Iraq with the Bengal Infantry (Bengali Paltan), and later joined the 1919 Victory March in London, where he was awarded the prestigious Sword of Honour.

In 1948, his historic demand in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly that Bangla be recognised alongside Urdu ignited the first spark of what would later become the Language Movement.

During the Liberation War, his home became a refuge for freedom fighters.

An incomplete list of Martyred Intellectuals

When the Liberation War erupted in 1971, Dr Alim transformed his medical chamber into a place of refuge.

Since 1971, successive governments have repeatedly pledged to compile a complete list of martyred intellectuals.

Dr Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta was among Dhaka University’s most distinguished educationists—an intellectual shaped by liberal, secular, and humanist ideals.

My last sighting of Munier Bhai was right in front of the English Department verandah.

Dr Gobinda Chandra Deb was among the finest philosophers produced by Bengal, a thinker whose life was guided by profound humanism, ethical reason, and compassion.

He continued to provide secret medical care in the Hatirpool slums and other high-risk areas across Dhaka, where the injured could not afford visibility—or delay.

bul Hashem Mia was a scholar of Political Science and Law, having earned his degrees from Dhaka University.

Professor Giyasuddin Ahmad’s life was inseparable from the values he taught

Dr Rabbee's Morris Minor car stands as one of the most powerful symbols of his bravery. He used it to transport injured freedom fighters, deliver medicines, and quietly support underground networks.

Rashidul Hasan was a beloved teacher of English at Dhaka University and a fearless believer in the rights of his people.

Her commitment to service soon extended beyond medicine.

At dawn on 16 December, Rashid Talukder set out to take photographs with Michel Laurent, an American photographer from the Associated Press.

It has been a year since Bangladesh freed itself from the murderous clutches of a tyrannical regime that had made corruption the rule of business, extreme arrogance of power the norm, and brutal repression its operational style.

I did not personally know Tajuddin Ahmad, but he was a contemporary of ours, and the politics he practised was within the Awami League—though there were different strands within the party.

I first met Tajuddin Ahmad—or Tajuddin Bhai, as I knew him—in the 1960s, during the pre-Liberation period. After I joined the Awami League, Bangabandhu told me to meet Tajuddin Ahmad, as he would answer all my questions on politics and the party, and that he possessed deep knowledge of both politics and people.

As per the blueprint of Operation Searchlight, the Pakistani army had four key targets in Dhaka city on the fateful night of 25 March 1971.