Being sure of defeat, the Pakistani occupation army and their collaborators -- Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams (mostly leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front) -- kidnapped frontline Bengali intellectuals and professionals on December 14, 1971 and killed them to cripple the nation intellectually.

Academics, doctors, engineers, journalists and other eminent personalities were picked up from their residences in the city and were massacred at Rayerbazar, Mirpur and other killing fields in the city.

The martyred intellectuals include Prof Muneir Chowdhury, Dr Alim Chowdhury, Prof Muniruzzaman, Dr Fazle Rabbi, Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Prof GC Dev, JC Guha Thakurta, Prof Santosh Bhattacharya, Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, journalists Khandaker Abu Taleb, Nizamuddin Ahmed, SA Mannan (Ladu Bhai), ANM Golam Mustafa, Syed Nazmul Haq and Selina Parvin.

The day returns with families of the martyred intellectuals still waiting to see punishment dealt out to the perpetrators of the wholesale killing of the best Bengali minds.

Families of many martyred intellectuals seeking justice lodged cases as early as 1972. Until March 1973, a total of 42 cases were filed against the Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams but over the years files on the cases only gathered dust.

On September 24, 1997, Farida Banu, sister of slain intellectual Giasuddin, filed a case and subsequently some police investigations were carried out. But as the old files and police records were untraceable, little progress was made.

To mark Martyred Intellectuals Day the country's political, cultural and civil-society organisations will hold events.

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has designed an elaborate programme to observe the day, and in line with this President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed will place a floral wreath at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Mausoleum.

Following the President, Advisor to Liberation War Affairs Dhiraj Kumar Nath will place a floral wreath at the mausoleum. Later, he will place a wreath at Rayerbazar Mausoleum.

President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed, leaders of different political parties and social organisations issued messages on the Martyred Intellectuals Day, paying tribute to the members of the Bengali intelligentsia.

To commemorate the tragedy, different socio-cultural and political organisations have planned elaborate programmes, including discussion and wreath-laying at the monuments at Mirpur and Rayerbazar.

The Awami League (AL) will place wreaths at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Mirpur, the Rayerbazar monument and the portrait of Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi. The party will hold discussion in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum with its President, Sheikh Hasina, in the chair.

BNP will place wreath at the Mirpur memorial at 10:00am and hold a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club at 3:00pm.

Dhaka University, which lost many of its illustrious teachers on the day, has chalked out various programmes to observe Martyred Intellectuals' Day. On the occasion, black flags will be hoisted at the main buildings of Dhaka University including all its dormitories and the Vice Chancellor's residence.

University teachers, students, officials and employees will bring out a procession from Aparajeo Bangla at 7:00am and will place wreaths at the graveyard, adjacent to university central mosque, and mausoleums at Jagannath Hall and other residential areas and Mirpur Intellectuals' graveyard. A discussion will also be held at TSC with Vice Chancellor SMA Faiz in the chair.

Bangla Academy will hold a lecture of poet Asad Chowdhury at the academy seminar today at 11:00am. The Liberation War Museum will hold a programme titled 'Voices of Martyrs' families' at the museum premises at 5:00pm today.

Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party (Manju), Jukto Front, Jatiya Samjtantrik Dal (JSD), Bangladesh Socialist Party (BSD), National Awami Party (NAP), Dhaka Union of Journalists, Dhaka reporters' Unity, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Bangladesh Chhatra Union and Bangabandhu Lalitokola Academy, Garment Workers Unity Council also have programmes to mark the day.