Role of intellectuals

. PHOTO: AFP

For the intellectuals, society has no fascination. They are our greatest, revolutionaries and dreamers. The French Revolution would never have occurred if the faith of the people in the old institution had not been undermined by the writings of Voltaire, Rousseau and other thinkers. Today Bangladesh needs intellectuals and the masses have to be brought up on new values -- the values of nationalism, secularism, democracy and socialism.

The intellectuals are sometimes disheartened but they have a responsibility which they cannot evade.