Dhaka, Dec. 13 -- President Mohammed Shahabuddin today paid rich tributes to the martyred intellectuals of 1971 on the occasion of the Martyred Intellectuals Day to be observed tomorrow.

In a message on the eve of the day, the President said: "December 14 marks Martyred Intellectuals Day- a day of profound sorrow in the history of Bangladesh."On this day in 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces, along with their collaborators, brutally killed some of the nation's brightest sons, he said.

The President paid his deepest respect and heartfelt tribute to those valiant intellectuals whose sacrifice accelerated the country's struggle for liberation. President Shahabuddin prayed for the eternal peace of their departed souls.

Intellectuals are...