Bangladesh’s road to independence was one laden with obstacles, with its tumultuous trajectory to freedom bearing huge losses. In particular, when the Pakistani army tried to cripple the country by systematically murdering intellectuals, it was a tremendous blow to the new state.
With the death of influential poets, writers, teachers, doctors, journalists, artists, and academics — all those who played an integral role in mobilizing the masses and educating them on their rights — it appeared that the potential for Bangladesh to prosper would be lost for good. But as history would have it, this budding nation rose from the ashes of destruction to heights no one could predict.