NN Online:
Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tarique Rahman, has expressed profound respect for the memory of the martyred intellectuals who were killed by the occupying forces and their collaborators during the Liberation War of 1971.
In a statement issued on Friday, December 13, marking Martyred Intellectuals Day, Tarique Rahman honored the martyrs’ sacrifice and prayed for their eternal peace. The statement was signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Tarique Rahman described Martyred Intellectuals Day as a poignant and tragic chapter in the nation’s history. He hailed the martyred intellectuals as the greatest sons of the soil who envisioned a prosperous, dignified, and democratic nation free from exploitation. However, he lamented that the collaborators of the occupying forces carried out a systematic genocide aimed at crippling the intellectual foundation of the nascent independent Bangladesh on the brink of victory.
The BNP leader criticized post-independence undemocratic forces for stripping the people of their democratic rights and undermining the sovereignty achieved through immense sacrifices. He further accused the successors of those forces of perpetuating authoritarian governance, fostering division, and obstructing national progress through enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other oppressive means.
Calling for national unity, Tarique Rahman stressed the need to revive true democratic practices, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and a pluralistic political framework. He urged the nation to draw inspiration from the sacrifices of the martyred intellectuals and work collectively to realize their dream of a prosperous and self-reliant Bangladesh.
On this solemn occasion, he extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred intellectuals and called upon all citizens to come together to build the nation envisioned by these heroes.
