PM, President pay tribute to Language Movement martyrs

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid have paid rich tributes at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka to pay homage to the martyrs of the Language Movement.

The Prime Minister and the President placed wreaths on the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka to pay respects to the martyrs on the first hour of Thursday.

The President was the first to lay the wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar. Just after the President, the Prime Minister placed the wreath at the Shaheed Minar.

The duo led the nation in paying tribute to the great heroes who sacrificed their lives to establish rights of the mother tongue in 1952.

President Hamid in a message remembered the Language Movement martyrs and hoped that the day will become a tool to protect every language and culture.

Hasina in her message urged all to work for the development of the country in the spirit of Ekushey.

Then PM Hasina placed another wreath along with other leaders of the ruling Awami League after Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury paid respect to the heroes.

The Shaheed Minar was opened for all after the VIPs paid homage amidst tight security.

Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament GM Quader, Dhaka South Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon were among the VIPs who paid their homage to the language martyrs.

The immortal line — “‘Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano Ekushey February, Ami Ki Bhulite Pari’ (Can I forget the 21st of February, incarnadined by the love of my brother?) — was on everyone’s lips.

The Language Movement began in 1948 when the then Government of Pakistan declared Urdu to be the sole national language of Pakistan. The Bangladeshi (Then East Pakistan) people protested, since the majority of the population was from East Pakistan and their mother language was Bangla. They demanded Bangla to be at least one of the national languages, in addition to Urdu. The movement reached its peak in 1952 and culminated with the adoption of Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan.

The Language Movement then acted as a trigger for Bengalis to carve an independent nation out of Pakistan 29 years later.

Notably, in November 1999, the UNESCO had declared February 21 as the International Mother Language Day.

The day is a national holiday. The national flag will fly at half-mast in honour of the martyrs.