Dhaka, Bangladesh Global: The government has added 118 more names to the list of intellectuals martyred in 1971 Liberation War. Now the total number of martyred intellectuals stands at 560. Minister of Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Huq unveiled the updated list at a press conference at the ministry on Sunday afternoon.
The minister said the list has yet to be finalized. They will announce the final list before December 14 (Martyred Intellectuals Day), he said adding that there are more names to be reviewed and some are in the process of being reviewed.
The list of martyred intellectuals of the fourth phase includes the names of three writers, one scientist, one painter, 54 teachers, four lawyers, 13 doctors, three engineers, eight government and private employees, nine politicians, and 13 philanthropists. Besides, the list of martyred intellectuals includes nine persons associated with culture lovers and other branches of film, drama, music and arts.
On November 19, 2020, the government formed a committee composed of researchers, freedom fighters, and officials from the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to compile the list of martyred intellectuals. On April 7, 2021, the ministry first published the names of 191 martyred intellectuals in the form of a gazette.
On May 29, 2022, it was updated with another 143 and on February 15 this year, the list of another 108 martyred intellectuals was published. With the Sunday’s additions take the total names to 560.
During the Liberation War in 1971, on the night of December 14, Pakistani occupation forces, with the help of their local collaborators – the Razakars, Al Badr, and Al Shams – took the brightest minds in the country from their homes, and then tortured and killed them.
Their bodies were later dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and other killing fields in Dhaka. Many bodies could not be identified. Bangladesh observes the Martyred Intellectuals Day on December 14 to commemorate the brutal killings by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators.
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