Dhaka, Dec. 14 -- BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday described the 1971 killing of intellectuals as a premeditated conspiracy and a calculated blueprint by anti-liberation forces aimed at depriving the nation of its intellectuals.

"The day of Shaheed Intellectuals is extremely painful for us. Just two days before Victory Day on December 16, there was a well-planned conspiracy, following a clear blueprint, to leave the nation intellectually empty," he said.

The BNP leader made the remarks while speaking at a discussion organised by the party to mark Shaheed Intellectuals Day at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.

Fakhrul said those who collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces went door to door, in...