The Role of Intellectuals in Nation Building

 

December 14 is the Martyred Intellectuals Day. On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani invasion forces planned to kill the intellectuals along with the massacre of innocent unarmed Bengalis. Since the beginning of the liberation war, the Pakistani invaders started making a list of intellectuals with the help of their local accomplices Razakar, Al-Badar, Al-Shams and started killing the intellectuals according to that list. Many teachers of Dhaka University were killed on the night of March 25.

When the Pakistani invaders started the barbaric massacre in history on the unarmed people of this country on the night of March 25, our intellectual society became their first victim. When the defeat of the Pakistani forces was imminent in the final phase of the liberation war, they indulged in yet another round of Intellectuals killing. That is, our liberation war started and ended with the killing of intellectuals.

Since the beginning of the liberation war, the Pakistani invaders started making plans to kill intellectuals. Major General Rao Farman Ali was the main planner of this work on behalf of the Pakistani forces. After independence, the handwritten diary of this Pakistani Major General was found in the destroyed Bangabhaban, which contains the names of many dead and living intellectuals. Even after all these years, it is not possible to make a complete list of exactly how many intellectuals were martyred in the liberation war, but an official initiative has been taken to make a list of intellectuals. Recently, the government has also approved a list of 1,222 people as part of the complete list of martyred intellectuals in the liberation war.

A new curfew was issued in Dhaka from December 4, 1971. Basically, from 10th December, preparations were made to kill the intellectuals, which was fully implemented on 14 December. In the main part of the plan, identified intellectuals including academics, writers, journalists, artists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, litterateurs and researchers were forcibly kidnapped by the Pakistani invaders and their local allies. About 200 intellectuals were abducted from their homes that day. They were blindfolded and taken to torture cells in Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Nakhalpara, Rajarbag and many other places and subjected to inhumane torture. Later they were brutally killed in Rayerbazar and Mirpur slaughtering ground.

After independence in 1972, an approximate list of Zila based martyred academics and lawyers was published. The list contained 968 academicians not affiliated with the university, 21 university teachers. Besides, according to the information available from Banglapedia, among the martyred intellectuals were 991 academicians, 13 journalists, 49 doctors, 42 lawyers, and 16 cultural activists, artists and engineers. From March 25 to December 16, 1971, several elite intellectuals lost their lives in the hands of the Pakistani Army.

Notable among them are—Professor Munier Chowdhury, Professor Govinda Chandra Dev, Professor Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta, Professor Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury, Professor Anwar Pasha, Professor Ghiasuddin Ahmed, Fazlur Rahman Khan, Humayun Kabir, Dr. Fazle Rabbi, Dr. Mohammad Murtaza, Dr. Shamsuddin Ahmed, Professor Rashidul Hasan, Dr. Santosh Bhattacharjee, Dr. Mohammad Shafi, journalist Sirajuddin Hossain, Shahidullah Kaiser, Nizamuddin Ahmed, Khandaker Abu Taleb, ANM Golam Mostafa, Shaheed Saber, Syed Nazmul Haque, Zahir Raihan, Altaf Mahmud, Dhirendranath Datta, Randaprasad Saha, Dr. Abdul Khair, Dr. Sirajul Haque Khan, Dr. Faizal Mahi, Dr. Abdul Alim Chowdhury, Selina Parvin, Professor M Habibur Rahman, poet Meherunnesa, lawyer Nazmul Haque Sarkar etc.

The question may arise—why did the Pakistani invaders plan to selectively kill the intellectuals among the common people? Why did they decide to kill people engaged in intellectual professions including academics, litterateurs, journalists, lawyers, artists, doctors, engineers, writers, researchers? And at the moment of their final defeat, why did they again choose to exterminate the intellectual society?

Because, they realized, a nation is fully developed along the path shown by its intellectuals. A nation cannot prosper without intellectuals. No intellectuals means no achievements of a country and nation. To remove intellectuals means to take away a nation's potential to achieve greatness. Pakistani invaders understood this very well. So, they struck their first and last blow, targeting those with high distinction. Through this barbaric massacre, the Pakistani forces looked to cripple the Bengali state and make it difficult to build a nation.

The dream of the Pakistani invaders had come true. By killing our intellectuals, they have set Bangladesh back from the world for almost half a century. The example of which has been seen in the times after the independence of the country. Due to the lack of intellectuals, there was a lack of national unity and solidarity, a dictatorship developed, and the state structure collapsed.

At that time, when the initiative was taken to establish a one-party rule in independent Bangladesh, there was no protest against it, let alone a movement. The reason for this was our intellectual bankruptcy—a lack of intellectuals.

When irregularities arose in the state under Pakistan, the first revolt against it was felt in the minds of the intellectuals.The intellectual's voice would break out in protest. But in today's independent Bangladesh, such responsibility of intellectuals is not observed. Today's intellectuals have been involved in various political parties flattering and have forgotten—what is the nature of an intellectual, and what is his responsibility towards the society and state as an intellectual.

If we look at the history, we can see how responsible and vocal our intellectuals were before independence towards the state and nation. We must re-establish the intellectual movement. As an intellectual, one has to spread self-realization in oneself. It is the moral responsibility of intellectuals to call out the falsehoods and reveal the truth. But the number of those responsible intellectuals are sparse. However, many patriots and humanists continue to perform their duties in spite of adversities.

The contribution of intellectuals to the development of a state's thoughts and ideas is undeniable. In the absence of proper direction of intellectuals, now all sectors are covered with irregularities. An "intellectual crisis" is now rampant in the country. That is why, even after 52 years of independence, we are still some way from achieving the ultimate liberation.

On Martyred Intellectuals Day, we remember the heroic sons of the nation with great respect. The wound of their loss is still carrying the homeland. It is hoped that an "intellectual spirit" will be awakened in the generation leading forward.

 
Emran Emon is a researcher,
journalist and columnist.