Nation set to pay tributes to language martyrs

The nation is set to observe 'Amar Ekushey', the Language Martyr's Day and the International Mother Language Day on Tuesday, marking the supreme sacrifice of the language heroes for upholding the dignity of mother tongue Bangla.

The day will also be observed around the world as the UNESCO recognised the Ekushey February as the International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999.

Walking barefoot to Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing 'Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February', people from all walks of life will pay their respect to the heroes of the Language Movement who sacrificed their lives for achieving the recognition of Bangla as the state language of erstwhile Pakistan.

On February 21, 1952, students and 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.

The day is a public holiday.

Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus issued a message on the eve of the day.

“On the occasion of Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day, I pay tribute to people of all languages in the world, including Bangla. Since 2000, Bangladesh and UNESCO have been jointly observing this day in a befitting manner. ‘Make Languages Count for Sustainable Development’ as this year’s UNESCO topic is justified,” said Dr Yunus.

The Chief Adviser said the Bengali nation, which had endured centuries of enslavement and domination, achieved its first victory in its struggle for independence on February 21, 1952.

The language movement holds special significance in the history of the Bengali nation's liberation movement, he added.

Dr Yunus said the groundwork for the establishment of a democratic, language-based, non-communal state structure was established by this movement.