Bangladesh has begun paying homage to the heroes of the
Language Movement. The heroes made the supreme sacrifice to establish the
rights of Bangla as the mother tongue of the nation.
Bangladeshis go on barefoot to the altar of the Central
Shaheed Minar in Dhaka in slow pace with the immortal song on Amar
Ekushey–“Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February” to place flowers on the
monuments in the first hours of Sunday.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
have paid their glowing tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language
Movement on the occasion of Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language
Day.
It is a national holiday. The national flag flies at half-mast
in honour of the martyrs. Social and cultural organisations hold programmes in
observance of the day.
The day has come this year in a different context as the
entire world is fighting the coronavirus pandemic with vaccines and
restrictions on gatherings.
The government has themed the observance this year on
inclusion and nurturing of multiple languages in education and society.
The authorities ordered all to limit the programmes to avoid
infection.
At the Shaheed Minar, a maximum of five people will be
allowed to place wreaths on behalf of their organisations, while no more than
two individuals can place flowers.
President Hamid in a message marking the day emphasised the
use of Bangla at all levels.
The Language Movement began the intense alienation of the
Bengalees and finally led to the Liberation War in 1971.
Several youths were killed in police firing on Feb 21, 1952,
to quell protests against the then Pakistan government decision to impose Urdu
as the state language on the people of the erstwhile East Pakistan, who wanted
Bangla to be recognised as the mother tongue.
The UNESCO in 1999 declared Feb 21 the International Mother
Language Day. Bangladesh observes the day as the Language Martyrs’ Day.
0 Comments