Final list of martyred intellectuals by 26 March next year: Minister

The government will release the final list of martyred intellectuals of the country by 26 March next year, says Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque.

"The ministry has published a list of intellectuals after proper verification but there are many more applications left to be verified from upazilas concerned. I am hopeful about the release of a complete list before Independence Day on 26 March next," he told the media after placing a wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial on Tuesday. 

The minister said deliberate killing of the country's intellectuals on the verge of victory was a part of the conspiracy to render Bangladesh a failed state, bereft of its intelligentsia. 

The children of martyred intellectuals demanded the publishing of a complete list of martyred intellectuals and bringing fugitive killers back home for trial. 

Paying tribute to martyrs at the Rayer Bazar memorial, Asif Munir, son of martyred intellectual Munir Chowdhury, told The Business Standard (TBS) "On Martyred Intellectuals Day today, I want to know how long we will have to wait for execution of the judgment on the killing of intellectuals?"

In reply, Minister Mozammel said "Our government is making diplomatic efforts to bring some of the killers who have taken political asylum abroad with false information, back to the country."

Towhid Reza Nur, son of martyred journalist Sirajuddin, told TBS, "In our lifetime, we want to see the complete list of martyred intellectuals. We would like to term it genocide.  Even after 50 years of independence, we do not have international recognition of this genocide.  We want this recognition."