In Bangladesh, Students of Dhaka University staged a series of symbolic protests on Martyred Intellectuals Day, marking December 14 with acts condemning the collaborators of Pakistan’s forces during the 1971 Liberation War.
From noon, students hurled shoes at the “Razakar Hate Pillar” located in front of the DUCSU Cafeteria, while a signature board titled “Silent Hatred” was placed nearby for participants to leave messages denouncing the killers of Bangladesh’s intellectuals. Photographs of convicted war criminals and key figures linked to the 1971 atrocities were displayed at the site.
Organiser Arafat Chowdhury, a law student at the university, said the protest aimed to ensure future generations do not forget the brutal killings of intellectuals in the final days of the war. “This is to express hatred toward those who murdered our intellectuals and to remind the nation of that dark chapter,” he said.
In separate demonstrations, students trampled symbolic Pakistani flags at entrances to several university halls, bearing messages such as “No compromise with razakars.” Protesters said the actions reflected both gratitude to martyred freedom fighters and rejection of the ideology of collaborators.
Martyred Intellectuals Day was observed nationwide with state leaders, including President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, paying tributes at the Mirpur memorial.
