Nation pays tributes to language heroes

The grateful nation paid homage to the martyrs of the 1952 historic Language Movement yesterday marking 'Amar Ekushey', the Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day.
Walking barefoot to the Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers and singing 'Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February', people from all walks of life paid their deep respects to the heroes of the Language Movement, who sacrificed their lives for the recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of erstwhile Pakistan.
President Abdul Hamid, as the head of state, was the first to place a wreath at the altar on behalf of the nation a minute after midnight followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as head of the government.
The President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of respect to the Language Movement martyrs.

Later, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, Ambassadors of different countries, leaders of Freedom Fighters’ Command Council, Dhaka University teachers, led by its vice chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, also paid tributes to the language martyrs
Sheikh Hasina along with senior Awami League leaders placed another wreath at the monument on behalf of the party.
Leader of the opposition in parliament Raushon Ershad and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia along with her party’s leaders and activists also paid homage to the Language Movement martyrs.
Different political parties, their front organisations as well as socio-cultural organisations observed various programmes paying their homage to the language martyrs all day long.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a four-day programme marking the International Mother Language Day 2016 and the Martyrs’ Day at the International Mother Language Institute in the city.
On February 21, 1952, students and the 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.

Nation pays tributes to language heroes

The grateful nation paid homage to the martyrs of the 1952 historic Language Movement yesterday marking Amar Ekushey, the Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day. Walking barefoot to the Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers and singing Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February, people from all walks of life paid their deep respects to the heroes of the Language Movement, who sacrificed their lives for the recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of erstwhile Pakistan. President Abdul Hamid, as the head of state, was the first to place a wreath at the altar on behalf of the nation a minute after midnight followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as head of the government. The President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of respect to the Language Movement martyrs. Later, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, Ambassadors of different countries, leaders of Freedom Fighters Command Council, Dhaka University teachers, led by its vice chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, also paid tributes to the language martyrs Sheikh Hasina along with senior Awami League leaders placed another wreath at the monument on behalf of the party. Leader of the opposition in parliament Raushon Ershad and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia along with her partys leaders and activists also paid homage to the Language Movement martyrs. Different political parties, their front organisations as well as socio-cultural organisations observed various programmes paying their homage to the language martyrs all day long. The Prime Minister also inaugurated a four-day programme marking the International Mother Language Day 2016 and the Martyrs Day at the International Mother Language Institute in the city. On February 21, 1952, students and the common people in Dhaka took to the streets in protest against the then Pakistani governments 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.