The nation is set to pay homage to the martyrs of the 1952 historic Language Movement with the clock striking one minute past midnight Friday marking ‘Amar Ekushey’, the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day.
Walking barefoot to the Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing ‘Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February’, people will pay their deep respects to the heroes of the Language Movement, who sacrificed their lives for the recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of erstwhile Pakistan.
President Md Abdul Hamid will pay tributes to the language martyrs by placing wreaths at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar at 00:01 am on Friday, followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina along with her cabinet members, advisers, lawmakers and party leaders will place another wreath on behalf of her party.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will place wreaths along with acting party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other leaders.
Besides, different political parties and their front organisations as well as sociocultural organisations will pay their homage to the language martyrs placing wreaths all day long.
Meanwhile, the law enforcement agencies have taken all-out security measures in and round the Central Shaheed Minar to ensure smooth observance of the Amar Ekushey.
On February 21, 1952, students and the common people in Dhaka took to the streets in protest against the then Pakistani government’s denial of Bangla as the national language and imposition of Urdu as the sole official language of Pakistan.
Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil were killed in police firings on this day in 1952 when students came out in a procession from the Dhaka University campus breaching section 144 to press home their demand for the recognition of Bangla as a state language of then Pakistan.
The Pakistan government was ultimately compelled to incorporate an article in the constitution on February 29 in 1956 that declared ‘the state language of Pakistan shall be Urdu and Bengali’.
The protest sparked on February 21 in 1952 progressed into the long-drawn struggle that eventually led to the birth of independent Bangladesh in 1971.
In a message on the occasion of the great International Mother Language Day, President Abdul Hamid said the great language movement is a historic and significant event in nation’s history. “This movement was aimed at establishing the rights of our mother tongue and saving ethnic entity and the country’s own culture.”
“Being a source of eternal inspiration the language movement later helped us to achieve the right to self-determination. We achieved our long-cherished independence in 1971 through an armed struggle.”
He recalled with profound reverence the memories of the language martyrs — Barkat, Rafiq, Salam, Jabbar, Shafiur — and other unknown martyrs who made supreme sacrifice.
“At the same time I also recall with deep respect Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the then Gono Parishad Legislative Member Dhirendra Nath Dutta and all the language activists,” the President said.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extend her best wishes to the Bangla-speaking people at home and abroad, and the people of all languages and cultures across the world on the occasion of the glorious Martyrs and International Mother Language Day.
She said the greatest Ekushey is the symbol of grief, strength and glory for every Bangali. “Many valiant sons of the soil, including Rafiq, Shafique, Jabbar, Barkat, Shafiuddin and Salam, sacrificed their lives for protecting the dignity of the mother tongue in 1952.”
Hasina also recalled with great respect the contributions of all other language veterans.
In a message, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, also a former prime minister, recalled with deep respect all the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement and wished the success of the all programmes taken by different socio-cultural and political organisations to mark the day.
She also prayed for salvation of the departed souls of the martyrs of the Language Movement and conveyed her sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Source: UNB Connect
