Nation to pay tribute to language martyrs at zero hour

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

The day will also be observed around the world as UNESCO recognised Ekushey February as the International Mother Language Day on 17 November 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 21 February 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.

In a message the eve of the day, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman extended his sincere greetings and congratulations to all Bangla-speaking people as well as speakers of all languages and ethnic groups across the world.

“The movement to protect the mother tongue not only established linguistic rights but also strengthened the foundations of the Bengali people’s struggle for self-rule, democracy and cultural identity. Following the blood-stained path of 21 February, the nation eventually achieved independence through the great Liberation War,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government aims to build a self-reliant, secure, humane and democratic state by upholding the aspirations of all martyrs, including the language martyrs, those who laid down their lives in the Liberation War of 1971, the struggle to protect independence in 2024, and all democratic movements in the country.

He called upon all concerned to work together to uphold the dignity of all languages across the world.

DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali said on Friday that around 15,000 police personnel would be deployed in and around the Central Shaheed Minar to ensure the safe and orderly observance of Shaheed Day and International Mother Language Day.

He was speaking after inspecting security arrangements at the memorial, where large crowds are expected to gather to pay tribute to the language martyrs.

There is no security threat surrounding this year’s Ekushey February observance in the capital, he said.

National dailies will publish supplements, marking the day, while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television and private radio stations and television channels will air special programmes on the occasion.