A long-awaited tribute | The star of the day

As we celebrate Martyred Intellectuals Day today, honoring the brilliant minds of this country who were brutally murdered by the Pakistani occupying forces with the help of their local collaborators before our liberation in 1971, it is deeply disappointing that we have not yet finalized a full agreement. list of these martyred intellectuals. Reportedly, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs undertook efforts in 2020 to prepare a comprehensive list, as no comprehensive record has been compiled, even after five decades of the country’s independence. While the work was supposed to be completed by December 16 this year, it has remained suspended since July, leaving uncertainty over its progress.

Over the past four years, the ministry has published four gazettes listing the names of 560 intellectuals based on the recommendations of a national committee, which also had a subcommittee to review the list. However, the subcommittee held its last meeting on July 1 and there have been no updates on the project since then. It appears that the political transition in the country may have created a vacuum within the committees, thus slowing progress. Some committee members anonymously suggested that the work had been postponed to avoid possible debates over the number of martyred intellectuals. However, we believe that the transparency and efficiency of the enrollment process can prevent such controversy.

There should be no controversy or disagreement about the invaluable role these intellectuals played in shaping the course of our history. These luminaries – academics, journalists, politicians, artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, doctors and engineers – played a central role in the mass movements against the widespread inequality and oppression of the Pakistani regime, which culminated in our war of liberation. From the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani army, aided by local collaborators, began kidnapping and killing these intellectual leaders. As their defeat became imminent, they intensified their efforts to eliminate these prominent figures before December 16, 1971, in order to intellectually cripple the emerging nation. Their loss left an irreplaceable void in the intellectual sphere of the country.

It is more essential than ever to compile a comprehensive list of these national icons and learn from their lives and contributions, as we strive to build a nation without discrimination after the overthrow of a 15-year autocratic regime . There are many sources from which information about martyred intellectuals can be collected. For example, their names can be found in Shaheed Buddhijibi Koshgranthathe 1972 documentary BangladeshBanglapedia, postal stamps and various books and research works. These sources should be properly verified to ensure accuracy and inclusiveness, thereby avoiding any disputes.

We therefore urge the interim government to quickly resume the initiative to create a comprehensive list of martyred intellectuals and carry out this vital project without further delay.