Dec 14 -2007, Home

14 th December 1971: Month of Victory

Occupation forces kill intellectuals before surrender

Today is the 14th December in the month of victory in the liberation war of Bangladesh just two days ahead   of surrender by the   vicious Pakistani occupation forces.
The brutal Pak forces at the fag end of their surrender resorted to annihilate country’s most brilliant personalities to cripple the nation intellectually on the night of this day (Tuesday) -1971.
The nation recollects with homage the Martyred Intellectuals Day today which is the blackest chapter as those valiant sons had to embrace martyrdom for the cause of the country.
The nation though heals up from these wounds with the victory but the scar of that martyred intellectuals day will not be erased from the minds of the independent Bengalees. 

The Pakistani military’s brutal aggression in Bangladesh had been further encouraged by the mistaken notion that the USA an China would intervene militarily on its behalf to defeat the Indian army and silence the Mukti Bahini .
Ultimately, neither the USA nor China rushed military assistance to the Pakistan army, which surrendered in Bangladesh in a matter of days.
The arrival of the US 7th fleet didn’t scare the Indian army or the Mukti Bahini though it initially rouse some anxiety about Nixon’s intentions.

Bangladesh paid a heavy price for achieving independence. Not only innocent  people massacred , women raped and mass economic infrastructure destroyed by the Pakistan army through out the Liberation War, but several brutal murders took place just a few days before the Liberation of Bangladesh .
The objective was none other than to obliterate our intellectuals, teachers , writers, journalists, engineers , doctors who had inspired the nation fight valiantly for freedom and human rights , were brutally murdered on the night of December 13-14 by the Pakistani occupation forces and their collaborators, the Al-Badar   and Al -Shams .

Prominent amongst those killed were Professors Muneir Chowdhury, G C Dev, Mofazzal Haider, Giasuddin Ahmed and Muniruzzaman , all of them of Dhaka University; Journalists- Sahidullah Kaiser, Serajuddin Hossain, Sirajul Haq Khan  , Nizamuddin and Amjadul Haq’ brother Nazmul Huq ; Doctors like Fazle Rabbi, Alim Chowdhury, Muktadir, Sadeque and Aminuddin, film director and producer Zahir Raihan and other personalities like Anwar Pasha , Golam Mustafa, Ladu Bhai, Rashidul Hasan, Abul Bashar, Khandaker Abu Taleb , Faizul Mohi and Saidul Hasan . Most of these intellectuals were taken from their homes in the darkness of the night blindfolded and with their hands tightly bound behind their backs with ropes.
They were not killed with single bullets, but were mercilessly tortured , their eyes gouged out , and bodies mutilated before they were put to death . Their corpses were left to rot in a ditch in Rayer Bazar, Mirpur . After Liberation, the bodies were buried on the very spot where they had been found.
The individuals will remain for ever enshrined in the hearts of the people of Bangladesh. They are our immortal martyrs. 
 According to book on” Muldhara: -71 written by Moidul Hasan said “ A M Malik, the governor wrote the draft of his cabinet resignation letter to president Yahya with a shaking ball point on a scrap of office paper as the Indian MIG 21st destroyed his official residence ---surrounded by his ministers, , Malik showed the draft .

To John Kelley, a UN official and to  Mr. Gavin Young of the Observer who had been trapped with him in his bunker by an air raid – All morning , Mr Malik and his cabinet had been unable to decide whether to resign or hang on . The Indian air raids finally decided --- the resignation effectively throws all responsibility for a last ditch stand on the East Pakistan army Commander Lt. Gen. A AK Niazi, who yesterday vowed to fight to the last man reports - The Times -December 15, 71.

In the face of unprecedented attack Yahya in a message informed M A Malik and Niazi – You have now reached a stage where further resistance is no longer humanly possible nor will it possibly serve any useful purpose. It will only lead to further loss of life and destruction. You should take all necessary measures to stop the fighting and preserve the lives of all armed forces personnel, all those from West Pakistan and loyal elements – according to sources from the book Pakistan’s Crisis in Leadership.
At 6.30 pm on December 14, General Niazi –appeared at the American consulate general in Dacca seeking help . He wanted the Indians for a ceasefire ......
US Consul General  Herbert Spivack followed protocol to the letter and sent Niazi’s plea to Washington for rebroadcast . It was received in the state department at 7:45 pm, Dacca time.
The state department, despite its public pleas for peace, did not expedite General Niazi’s ceasefire message . The cable was forwarded to Ambassador Farland in Islamabad to have him check with Yahya –It was 3:30 am in Dacca before Washington received sufficient confirmation from Islamabad – The message was finally sent to Ambassador Keating in New Delhi , where it was  received  at 12:56 pm. It took another hour to decode the message, locate Indian officials and deliver  it to them ... Meanwhile , the White House had a twenty one –hour headstar in in efforts to disguise the efforts it had been making to assist Pakistan.
  M R Akhter Mukul a leading war field journalist in his book “ Ami Bijoy Dekhechi  wrote that the evening news is governor Abdul Malek with his high civil officials have resigned and were staying in Hotel Intercontinental seeking security to the International Red Crescent Society