President, prime minister pay homage to martyrs of 1952 Language Movement

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid their tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement on International Mother Language Day. 

On behalf of the president, and prime minister their military secretaries, Major General SM Salahuddin Islam and Major General Naquib Ahmed Chowdhury placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital, at one minute past midnight on Monday.

After placing the wreaths, they stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of respect to the supreme sacrifice of the language heroes. 

As this year’s program is being observed on a limited scale due to Covid-19, President Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did not visit the Central Shaheed Minar. 

Chiefs of Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Army, and Bangladesh Navy pay tributes at the Central Shaheed Minar Monday, February 21, 2022 Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Citizens paying tributes at the Shahid Minars all around the country, have been asked to wear masks and follow health rules. 

The 1952 Language Movement, a significant event in the nation’s history, was aimed at establishing the right of the mother tongue as well as protecting self-entity, and culture and heritage.

the homage by placing a wreath at the Central Shahid Minar in Dhaka at one minute past midnight.

Walking barefoot to the Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing “Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February”, people from all walks of life are paying rich tributes to the heroes of the Language Movement who laid down their lives for achieving the recognition of Bangla as the state language of erstwhile Pakistan.

The Bangladesh Navy pays tributes at the Central Shaheed Minar Monday, February 21, 2022 Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

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 only 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.

Being a source of ceaseless inspiration, “Amar Ekushey” inspired and encouraged the nation to a great extent to achieve the right to self-determination and struggle for freedom and the Liberation War.

Bangladesh Police pays tributes at the Central Shaheed Minar Monday, February 21, 2022 Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

With the bloodshed passage of Language Movement, the nation got the recognition of Bangla its mother tongue and attained its long-cherished independence under the charismatic leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971.

The day is being observed across the world as Unesco recognized “Ekushey February” as the International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999.