The nation recalled the supreme sacrifice of the language heroes with a call for recognizing Bangla as one of the UN official languages, marking the Martyrs Day and the International Mother Language Day on Monday.
Thousands of people clad in black and white dresses thronged the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka since midnight to pay their glowing tributes to the 1952 language martyrs and also to call on the authorities for recognizing Bangla as one of the UN official languages,
Considering the prevailing Covid-19 situation, a maximum of five members from each organization and a maximum of two persons at the individual level were allowed to lay wreaths at the Shaheed Minar.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid their glowing tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day in the early hours of the day.
On behalf of the president and the prime minister, their military secretaries paid the homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at one minute past zero-hours.
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The military secretaries stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the language heroes.
Later, on behalf of Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, sergeant-at-arms of the Parliament Secretariat and on behalf of JS Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, assistant sergeant-at-arms; on behalf of Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, senior army officials, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.
On behalf of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, its Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury paid homage to the language martyrs placing a wreath at the Shaheed Minar.
Among other AL leaders, Presidium members Nurul Islam Nahid, Shajahan Khan, and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, joint general secretaries Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, among others, accompanied Matia Chowdhury.
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On behalf of the opposition leader in parliament Begum Rowshan Ershad, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu placed a wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar.
On behalf 14-party alliance, AL Joint General Secretary Dr Dipu Moni and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haq Inu paid homage to the language martyrs.
On behalf of Bangladesh Police, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Benazir Ahmed, Dhaka University (DU) Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Aktaruzzaman and foreign ambassadors to Bangladesh also paid tribute to the language martyrs by placing wreaths at the monument.
