The BNP on Thursday paid tributes to martyred intellectuals by placing wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur in the city, marking the Martyred Intellectuals’ Day.

BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan along with some party senior leaders placed the wreaths and 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.

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BNP Vice Chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Joint Secretary General Mahbubuddin Khokon, central leaders Abdul Hye Sikder, Mostafizur Rahman Babul, Taiful Islam Tipu, Rafique Shikdar, Abed Reza and Kader Gani Chowdhury were, among others, present there.

BNP kept the national flag at half-mast and hoisted black flags atop all its offices, in the morning on the occasion.

However, the collapsible gate of the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office still remained locked from the outside and the party leaders and workers were not seen coming to the party office. The BNP office was shut down following violence over its October 28 foiled rally.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Smmalita Peshajibi Parishad, a platform of pro-BNP professionals, arranged a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the day.

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BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan addressed the programme as the chief guest with the participation of educationists, journalists, other professionals and BNP leaders and workers.

On the night of December 14, 1971, over 200 intellectuals, including educationists, journalists, litterateurs, writers, physicians, scientists, lawyers, artists, philosophers and political thinkers had been picked up in Dhaka by Pakistani occupation forces, aided by their local collaborators.

Unlike previous years, the BNP observed the day simply as many of its senior and central leaders were either in jail or on the run since street violence on October 28. 

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