Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day was observed on Tuesday with a call for making Bangla a UN official language.
The indebted nation paid homage to the Language Movement martyrs who had made the supreme sacrifice for the mother tongue in 1952.
Tens of thousands of people from all walks of life crowded Shaheed Minars in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country singing the Ekushey anthem -- amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February, ami ki bhulite pari -- and showered the hallowed monuments with flowers, mourning the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement.
On February 21 that year, Pakistani police fired on the peaceful protesters, who had taken to the Dhaka streets demanding that Bangla be made one of the state languages of the then Pakistan.
The police brutality killed many people, mostly students, including Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar and Shafiur.
The day has since been observed as Language Martyrs' Day. In November 1999, UNESCO declared it the International Mother Language Day.
President Zillur Rahman led the nation in paying tributes to the Language Movement martyrs by placing wreaths at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar at 12:01 am on Tuesday.
The president was followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The premier along with her cabinet members, advisers, lawmakers and party leaders placed wreaths on behalf of the ruling Awami League.
Both the President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of respect to the martyred language movement heroes.
Later, Sheikh Hasina, along with her cabinet members, advisers and party MPs placed another wreath on behalf of the ruling Awami League. Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali placed wreaths on behalf of the Speaker. The chief whip was also with him.
Opposition leader and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia also placed wreath at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar paying homage to the martyrs of the Language Movement. Khaleda Zia along with her party’s senior leaders arrived at the Central Shaheed Minar at 12: 20 am on the day and placed the wreaths as the Leader of the Opposition and the BNP chief.
The chiefs of the three services, the attorney-general, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the UN organizations, and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique also placed wreaths.
Besides, different political parties and their front organisations and various socio-cultural organizations also placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar paying their homage to the language martyrs.
Street paintings, festoons, banners and other forms of placards inscribed with popular poems on the Language Movement were seen around the Central Shaheed Minar and on adjacent streets, adding to the solemnity of the occasion.
Some foreign citizens also placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.
The day was a public holiday. The national flag was hoisted at half-mast and black flags flew on government, autonomous and private offices.
State-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels aired special programmes while BTV telecast the wreaths laying ceremony live from the Central Shaheed Minar.
Newspapers published special supplements highlighting the significance of the day.
BBN/SSR/AD-22Feb12-10:50 am (BST)
