The nation on Friday observed Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day paying homage to the memory of the Language Movement martyrs, who made the supreme sacrifices in the 1952 Language Movement.
People in groups from all walks of life in bare feet poured into martyr鈥檚 memorial places across Bangladesh to pay tribute to the language heroes, known and unknown, who sacrificed their lives for their mother tongue Bangla, placing flowers and wreaths at Shaheed Minars across the country.
Educational institutions, various socio-political and cultural organisations and local administrations organised elaborate programmes, including book fair, cultural functions and discussions marking the day in cities, districts and upazilas.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin was the first to place a wreath at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar on behalf of the nation at 12:01 am 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 paid tributes to the language martyrs.聽聽
The Central 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 Central Shaheed Minar on Dhaka University campus in the early hours of the day, upholding the spirit of the Amar Ekushey and recalling the supreme sacrifice for cultural and economic freedom of the people of this country.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders placed a floral wreath at the Shaheed Minar at around 6:30am. None from the Awami League was seen paying tribute to the language movement heroes on behalf of the party on the day.
The Shaheed Dibas was observed this year in a changed political scenario after the fall of the Awami League regime amid a student-led 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.
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 organized different programmes to mark 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 organisations and institutions also held various programmes to mark the day.
Bangla Academy is holding a month-long book fair marking the Language Movement in February, 1952. 聽
The members of the law enforcement agencies took stringent security measures in and around the Central Shaheed Minar.
In Dhaka, thousands of people including children paid tributes to the language heroes placing wreaths or flowers at the Central Shaheed Minar as it was opened for people at about 12:40am after the state dignitaries paid tributes to the language heroes.
Different social, political and cultural organisations and cross-section of people thronged into the Central Shaheed Minar.
The state-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar as well as private television channels and radio stations telecast and aired special programmes while newspapers published special supplements marking the day.
Bangladesh missions abroad also observed the day through various programmes showing due respect to language martyrs.
Black flags were hoisted to pay tribute to the martyrs who were killed by police firing into a students鈥� procession that was brought out defying a ban on processions or gatherings near Dhaka Medical College in the city, demanding Bangla as a state language, on February 21, 1952.
Highlighting the spirit of the Amar Ekushey, Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar Friday morning, said that people of the country would again take to the streets if any fascism and dictatorship arise.
Earlier, at around 6:30am, Rizvi led a procession from the Balaka Cinema Hall in New Market to Azimpur graveyard where they placed wreaths and offered prayers at the grave of the language movement heroes before proceeding to the Central Shaheed Minar.聽
