Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. File Photo

DHAKA, Dec 13, 2025 (BSS)- BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today said during the Great War of Liberation in 1971, intellectuals stood by the nation inspired by patriotism.

In a post on his verified facebook page, Tarique Rahman said, "The martyred intellectuals were motivated by patriotism and stood by the countrymen. They protested injustice and took up their pens for the cause of independence. Their lives and work continue to inspire us today."

He paid tribute to the martyred intellectuals including teachers, doctors, writers, journalists, and artists who were brutally killed by the occupation forces and their collaborators on December 14, 1971, and prayed for the eternal peace of their departed souls.

He continued, "The killing of the country's intellectuals was a profound conspiracy to deprive the nation of its intellectual resources. The murder of the nation's best sons on the eve of victory still saddens the entire nation. However, the ideals they left behind namely, the pursuit of knowledge, science, free thought, and the spirit of harmony among all religions, castes, and communities inspire the determination to build a developed and progressive nation. Building a modern, democratic state was their ultimate goal."

The BNP leader noted that the dreams of the intellectuals have yet to be realized, saying, "But even after half a century, the dreams of the martyred intellectuals have not been fulfilled. Democracy has repeatedly fallen into a death trap. The democratic development of the state has been obstructed by creating an atmosphere of one-party misrule. Despite much bloodshed, the freedom of expression, writing, and speech is yet to be free from the crisis of adversity."

Tarique Rahman concluded by stating that the ideals of the martyred intellectuals will only be realized if, following the overthrow of fascism in the July Uprising, the nation can establish the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and a multi-path and multi-opinion political system.