President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement on the occasion of Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day.

The President paid the homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at one minute past midnight tonight.

After him, the Prime Minister paid the homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.

They stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the Language heroes.

The day is also being observed around the world as the Unesco recognized February 21 as the International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999.

On this day in 1952, students and people from all strata of society took to the streets in Dhaka to protest the then Pakistan government’s refusal to recognize Bangla as one of the state languages and its attempt to impose Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan.

Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Shafiur, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil sacrificed their lives to establish Bangla as a state language of the then Pakistan. 

The Language Movement is indeed the most important turning point in the history of Bangalee as its spirit led to the Independence of Bangladesh through a bloody nine-month war in 1971.

BDST: 0016 HRS, FEB 21, 2023
MSK/SMS