The BNP announced a two-day program on Monday to observe Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day with due respect on February 21.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programs at a press conference at the party’s Naya Paltan central office.
February 21 will be observed simultaneously as Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day on Wednesday in recognition of the nation’s supreme sacrifice to the cause of their mother tongue. In 1999, Unesco declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day.
As part of the programs, Rizvi said his party will hold a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh on Tuesday, marking the day.
He said they will keep their party and national flags at half-mast and hoist black flags at the BNP’s Naya Paltan central office at 6am on February 21.
Leaders and activists of the party will also gather in front of Balaka Cinema Hall at Nilkhet wearing black badges the same day.
Later, they will first recite Surah Al-Fatihah at the graves of Language Movement martyrs at Azimpur Graveyard and then go to the Central Shaheed Minar to pay tributes to them.
Besides, the BNP’s different units across the country will also observe the day with due respect through various programs.
Rizvi said the nation is going to observe Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day at a time when they are deprived of their rights.
“The voters of this country now cannot cast their votes and the people of this country cannot sleep at home without fear… Leaders and workers of numerous nationalist forces cannot stay in their villages and homes with their wives, sons, daughters or with their fathers and mothers,” he said.
The BNP leader said many of his party’s leaders and workers are now driving autorickshaws and even pulling rickshaws to earn a living.
In such circumstances, he said, the sacrifices of martyrs on February 21, 1952, would encourage the country’s people to continue their struggle to restore their rights and bring back democracy.
“It will also give us courage to return people's ownership of the country to them and establish the rule of law, freedom of expression and the rule of people."
