Thousands of people in bare feet began pouring into Shaheed Minars across the country as the clock ticked midnight past Thursday to pay tributes to the heroes who sacrificed their lives in 1952 for their mother tongue.
People from all walks of life paid homage to the language martyrs, known and unknown, marking the Amar Ekushey by placing flowers and wreaths at Shaheed Minars across the country for their supreme sacrifices for establishing Bangla as the state language.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin was the first to place a wreath at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar on behalf of the nation followed by chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Later, Supreme Court judges led by chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, advisory council members, foreign diplomats, chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and chief of army staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, chief of naval staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan and chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan.
The Shaheed Minar was opened to the public at about 12:40am.
Several political parties including the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Ganosamhati Andolan, Nagorik Oikya and Gono Forum, representatives of the July uprising injured, different educational institutions and socio-cultural organisations also placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar.
The Shaheed Dibas is being observed this year in a changed political scenario after the fall of the Awami League regime amid a mass uprising on August 5, 2024.
On February 21, 1952, corresponding to Phalgun 8, 1359 on the Bangla calendar, the then Pakistani rulers banned protests against the announcement of Urdu as the only state language, even though a majority of the combined population spoke Bangla.
Salam, Jabbar, Rafiq and Barkat were killed in police firing on a students鈥� procession, brought out defying the ban demanding Bangla as a state language.
The events of the language movement led to other landmark movements, including the historic Six-Point Movement of 1966, and the Mass Uprising of 1969, which culminated in the War of Independence in 1971.
Aamar Ekushey, also known as Bhasha Shaheed Dibas or Language Martyrs鈥� Day, has come to be observed as International Mother Language Day since February 2000 following a UNESCO announcement in November 1999.
The silver jubilee of International Mother Language Day is being observed this year with the theme 鈥楳ake Languages Count for Sustainable Development鈥�.
Seven points around Dhaka University campus were closed due to the large gathering of people around the Central Shahid Minar. People鈥檚 movement was controlled on the campus from 5:00pm on Thursday and high restrictions were imposed after 8:00pm on the day for security reasons.
Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, in a message on the eve of Amar Ekushey, paid tribute to the people of all languages in the world, including Bangla, on the occasion of the Martyrs' Day and the International Mother Language Day-2025, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.
The chief adviser said that the Bengali nation, which had endured centuries of enslavement and domination, achieved its first victory in its struggle for independence on February 21, 1952.
Dhaka University fine arts students decorated roads and walls around the Central Shaheed Minar with floral designs.
Different political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, socio-cultural and professional organisations and educational institutions have taken elaborate programmes to mark the day.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman in a statement on Thursday said that February 21 was a remarkable chapter for the Bengali nation.
鈥榃e achieved the country鈥檚 all democratic and self-determination movements, including the 聽聽independence, following the bloody path of February 21, 1952,鈥� he said.
Tarique urged all those who believed independence and sovereignty of the country to remain alert so that none could confine the country鈥檚 democracy.
State-run and private television and radio channels are airing special programmes on the occasion.
Newspapers published supplements highlighting the significance of the day.
Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Kabi Nazrul Institute, National Book Centre, Islamic Foundation, Bangladesh National Museum, Department of Archaeology, Department of Public Libraries, International Mother Language Institute, Department of Archives and Library, Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Small Ethnic Groups Cultural Institute, three districts in hill tracts, and other organidations and institutions have also chalked out various programmes to mark the day.
The members of the law enforcement agencies have taken tight security measures in and around the Central Shaheed Minar.
After inspecting the overall security measures in surrounding areas of the Central Shaheed Minar on Thursday, DMP commissioner SM Sazzat Ali said that a four-tier security measure was taken around the Shaheed Minar.
The Rapid Action Battalion has taken special security measures in and around the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka as elsewhere across the country for the peaceful observation of the day.
The Dhaka South City Corporation, like in previous years, was ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply and took other measures to facilitate people paying tribute to language heroes.
