Bangladesh observed Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day with due respect on Friday, paying radiant tributes to the heroes of the 1952 Language Movement.
Marking "Amar Ekushey," people from all walks of life paid homage to the Language Movement martyrs - who made the supreme sacrifice to establish Bangla as the mother tongue in 1952 - by placing wreaths and flowers at language movement memorials, or Shaheed Minars, across the country.
Since the very early hours of the day, thousands of people wearing traditional black and white dresses in bare feet rushed to the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka to pay tribute to the 1952 language martyrs.
Unesco also took the initiative to celebrate the day by arranging a two-day event featuring technical dialogues, high-level sessions, cultural performances and an exhibition honouring global linguistic diversity through live streaming and interpretation.
Marking the day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin paid homage to the valiant heroes of the Language Movement by placing floral wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at one minute past zero hour.
Later, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus paid tribute putting floral wreaths to the memorial of the valiant soldiers of the Language Movement at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Afterwards, he stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of profound respect for the memory of the language heroes.
Earlier, on the arrival, the Dhaka University vice chancellor, dean of the Faculty of Arts, proctor, deans of the science faculty and pharmacy faculty, and registrar welcomed the president and the chief adviser.
Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and other justices of the Appellate Division and High Court Division, interim government advisory council members, ambassadors, high commissioners, diplomats, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Chief of Air Staff Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Attorney General Advocate Mohammad Asaduzzaman, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali, and Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sazzad Mahmud laid the laurels successively after the chief adviser.
Later, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) Director General Major General Md Faizur Rahman, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) DG Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) DG AKM Shahidur Rahman, National Security Intelligence (NSI) DG Major General Abu Mohammad Sarwar Farid and Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Tanvir Ahmed, on behalf of district magistrates, paid their tributes at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar.
Meanwhile, the DU VC along with its other bodies submitted tributes to the language heroes with floral garlands on behalf of the DU family.
Among political parties and student organisations, the BNP, Chhatra Dal, Workers Party of Bangladesh, JaSaD, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal, Samyabadi Dal, Gono Forum, Chhatra Union, Chhatra Front and Chhatra Federation paid homage to the language martyrs.
Afterwards, the area was opened to the public.