5:11 pm - Wednesday March 27, 9393

President, PM pay homage

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid homage to the Language Movement heroes by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at one minute past midnight on Friday.

PM-shaheedminar-300

Sheikh Hasina has also paid tribute at the altar of the language heroes on behalf of the Bangladesh Awami League.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, senior AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Tofael Ahmed, Tofail Ahmed, Matiya Chowdhuary, among others, were present at the time.

Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has also paid homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar immediate after the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Political leaders, Dhaka University teachers, diplomats and representatives of various organisations and general public as well are following them in paying tributes to the 1952 heroes singing the first four lines of the famous song “Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February, Ami Ki Bhulite Paari”.

The nation is paying homage to the memories of valiant sons of the soil who made supreme sacrifices to establish rights of the mother tongue in 1952.

The day is also being observed across the globe as the UNESCO recognised the Ekushey February as the International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999.

The government has taken elaborate programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner.

The day is a public holiday in Bangladesh.

In respect to the martyrs of the Language Movement, the national flag is being kept hoisted half-mast in all educational institutions and government, semi-government and autonomous offices.

Newspapers have published special supplements marking the day and radio and television are airing special programmes on the occasion.

On February 21 in 1952, Salam, Rafique, Shafique, Jabbar and Barkat embraced martyrdom in police firing in front of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) as they took to street to intensify a campaign to establish Bangla as the state language of the then East Pakistan, sowing the seeds of subsequent movements for independence.

They were killed as police opened fire on students, demonstrating under the All-Party Students Action Committee against conspiracies of Pakistani rulers to declare Urdu as the only state language.

News Source : Dhakatribune


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