Paying  tributes to the 'brightest minds of this soil' on the Martyred Intellectuals Day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said Bangladesh could even surpass where it is now had they been alive today. He made this observation in a post shared on his verified Facebook page, terming December 14 (Martyred Intellectuals Day) a day 'reminding the shock the nation is still reeling from'. Back in 1971, Joy said, when the occupation army of Pakistan found their footing shaken and started surrendering at different parts of the country, they killed the intellectuals and professionals from diverse arenas with the aid of Razakar, Al-Badr, and Al-Shams, formed by the armed forces of Pakistan in collaboration with their local collaborators. READ: Sajeeb Wazed Joy bags leadership award in IT "They blindfolded and murdered them to leave the land soon to be independent as intellectually bankrupt," he added. Lashing out at the evil intention behind these orchestrated killings, Joy said their goal was to resist Bangladesh from standing with dignity in the world as an independent and sovereign country. "That is why they cut short the lives of the best sons of this soil who could drive the country forward." "Intellectuals such as poets, literateurs, journalists, teachers, engineers, physicians, artists, singers, and filmmakers made a huge contribution to every stage of the Liberation War of Bangladesh," he added. In addition to recognizing their role in inspiring the whole nation to take part in the Liberation War, Joy also praised them for 'playing their part in the strategic moves such as forming the Mujib Nagar government, dividing the country into different sectors and assigning a sector commander to each of them, establishing different organizations of the government of Bangladesh, appointing able people to these organizations, and ensuring international supports'.

Bangladesh is observing Martyred Intellectuals Day on Tuesday to commemorate the intellectuals killed by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators in 1971. In the morning, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals. On behalf of the head of the state, his military secretary Major General S M Salah Uddin Islam placed a wreath at Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur. Also read: PM pays homage to martyred intellectuals

Speakers at a virtual discussion have called upon the expatriate Bangladeshi intellectuals to establish Bangabandhu internationally. They said that the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family was a very well-planned coup of the anti-independence clique. On the occasion of National Mourning Day 2021, Bangabandhu Parishad Brunei organized the virtual discussion titled "Bangladesh after 15th August" on Friday night. The meeting was chaired by local president of the organization Mostafa Reza Ali and the chief guest was the advisor of Bangladesh Awami League and General Secretary of Central Bangabandhu Parishad Dr SA Malek. Also read: South Sudan names road after Bangabandhu The keynote speaker was Bangabandhu Parishad Presidium Member and Founder Chairman of the Department of Criminology at Dhaka University, Professor Dr Zia Rahman, said a press release. Executive committee member of Bangabandhu Parishad Dr Abdullah Al Mamun, Vice President of Awami League Australia Dr Lovely Rahman, General Secretary of tAwami League of Australia Dr Abul Hasnat Milton, President of Bangabandhu Parishad of Malaysia Dr ATM Emdadul Haque, Bangladesh High Commission Brunei's counsellor Jelal Hossain, Brunei Bangabandhu Parishad Adviser Dr Nur Rahman Khokon and General Secretary of Brunei Bangabandhu Parishad Mahbubur Rahman Bakul, Rezaul Karim, Dr ABM Kamrul Hasan, Adviser of Brunei Bangabandhu Parishad, among others took part in the discussion. Also read: ‘Bangabandhu Corner’ set up at Seoul National University Library