Day of the Martyred Intellectuals

Day of the Martyred Intellectuals
Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Rayerbazar, Dhaka
Official name	Bengali: শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী দিবস Shaheed Buddhijibi Dibôsh'
Observed by	Bangladesh
Significance	Commemoration of executions of Bengali intellectuals
Date	14 December
Next time	14 December 2018 (2018-12-14)
Frequency	Annual

Martyred Intellectuals Day (Bengali: শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী দিবস Shaheed Buddhijibi Dibôsh) is observed on 14 December in Bangladesh to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces and their collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War, particularly on 25 March and 14 December 1971. The killings were undertaken with the goal of annihilating the intellectual class of what was then East Pakistan. Two days after the events of 14 December, on 16 December, Bangladesh became independent through the surrender of Pakistani forces.

The Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan began on 26 March 1971, and grew into the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, ending with the victory of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. On 14 December, sensing imminent defeat, Pakistani forces and their local collaborators—Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams—abducted and killed front-line Bengali intellectuals and professionals in order to cripple the new nation intellectually. Renowned academics, teachers, intellectuals, doctors, engineers, journalists, and other eminent personalities were dragged out of their houses, blindfolded, and killed. Their bodies were dumped in Rayerbazar, Mirpur, and other killing grounds in Dhaka just two days ahead of the final victory of the war.

In memory of those were killed, a memorial known as the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial (Badhya Bhumi Smriti Soudha) was built at Rayer Bazaar in Dhaka.