Is there an exhaustive list?

The targeted genocide campaign against the martyred intellectuals was launched in two phases: The first one on 25th March and the second one on 14th December. Al-Badrs and Al-Shams--associated wings of the Razakars--with direct help from the occupation forces, short-listed and killed the visionaries. All these are now known facts. Even the persons directly involved with the killings have been identified.

However, questions have arisen as to whether an exhaustive list of all the martyred intellectuals has been prepared and officially published by the government or by any other quarter. When asked, researchers on genocide in 1971 could not come up with a decisive answer. There also seems to exist another debate as to the definition of a martyred intellectual: Should only those killed in the said two phases be regarded as 'martyred intellectuals' or those killed in between those phases, for the same reason of lending intellectual support and invigorating the cause of liberation, should also be given the same status?

For one, we have come to know of one Professor named Moazzem Hossain who taught Enonomics at Bagerhat P. C. College. He not only gave moral and intellectual support but also took up arms and led no less than 500 freedom fighters in several phases across the border to Indian training camps. While returning home from a make-shift freedom fighters' camp in his village, he was shot dead by collaborators and vested quarters on 28th October.

Such tales of sacrifice call for a redefinition of 'martyred intellectuals'. However, in order to produce a complete list, perhaps we should begin with the current practice and then attempt to broaden it further so as to include all intellectuals across the country.

Below is a list of martyred intellectuals culled from a host of online resources:

Dhaka University Teachers
A. N. M. Munier Choudhury
Dr. G.C. Dev
Muffazzal Hyder Chowdhury
Anwar Pasa
Jyotimay Guhathakurta
Abdul Muqtadir
S. M. Rashidul Hasan
Dr. A.N.M. Faizul Mahi
Fazlur Rahman Khan
A.N.M. Maniruzzaman
Dr. Serajul Haque Khan
Dr. Shahadat Ali
Dr. M.A. Khair
A.R. Khan Kadim
Muhammad Sadeque
Sharafat Ali
Ghiasuddin Ahamed
Ananda Payan

Rajshahi University Teachers
Prof. Qayyum
Habubur Rahman
Shree Sukha Ranjan Samadder

M.C.A.s:
Mashiur Rahman
Amjad Hossain
Aminuddin
Nazmul Haque Sarker
Abdul Haque
Syed Anwar Ali
A.K. Sarder

Journalists:
Sirajuddin Hossain
Shahidulla Kaiser
Khondakar Abu Taleb
Nizamuddin Ahmed
A.N.M. Golam Mustofa
Shahid Saber
Sk. Abdul Mannan(Ladu)
Nazmul Haque
M. Akhter
Abul Basar
Chisty Helalur Rahman
Shibsadan Chakravarty
Selina Akhter

Physicians:
Md. Fazle Rabbi
Abdul Alim Chowdhury
Shamsuddin Ahmed
Azharul Haque
Humayun Kabir
Sulaiman Khan
Kaiser Uddin
Mansur Ali
Ghulam Murtaza
Hafez Uddin Khan Jahangir
Abdul Jabbar
S.K. Lal
Hem Chandra Basak
Kazi Obaidul Haq
Mrs. Ayesaha Bedoura Chowdhury
Al-Haj Mamotazuddin
Hashimoy Hazra
Naren Ghose
Zikrul Haq
Shamsul Haq
M. Rahman
A. Gafur
Mansur Ali
S.K. Sen
Mafizuddin
Amulya Kumar Chakravarty
Atiqur Rahman
Ghulam Sarwar
R. C. Das
Mihir Kumar Sen
Saleh Ahmed
Anil Kumar Sinha
Sunil Chandra Sharma
A.K.M. Ghulam Mustafa
Maqbul Ahmed
Enamul Haq
Mansur(Kanu)
Ashraf Ali Talukdar
Lt. Ziaur Rahman
Lt. Col. Jahangir
Badul Alam
Lt. Col Hai
Maj. Rezaur Rahman
Maj. Nazmul Islam
Asadul Haq
Nazir Uddin
Lt. Nurul Islam
Kazal Bhadra
Mansur Uddin

Educationists:
Zahir Raihan
Purnendu Dastidar
Ferdous Dowla
Indu Saha
Meherunnessa
Artists, Professionals, etc.:
Altaf Mahmud
Danbir Ranada Prasad Saha
Jogesh Chandra Ghose
Dhirendra Nath Dutta
Shamsuzzaman
Mahbub Ahmed
Khurshid Alam
Nazrul Islam
Muzammel Haq Chowdhury
Mohsin Ali
Mujibul Haq

Compiled by the editorial team.

Sources: Bangladesh Genocide Archive, Muktodhara and Bangladesh 1971.