Nation observes Amar Ekushey

The ‘Amar Ekushey’, the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day, is being observed in the country as elsewhere across the globe today with due fervour, reports UNB.
Marking the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid their homage to the martyrs of the historic language movement by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at one minute past midnight today.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived at the Shaheed Minar 12 minutes before the clock struck 12 midnight. President Abdul Hamid reached the Central Shaheed Minar eight minutes before the zero hour.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proceeded to the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar together at a slow pace as the immortal song on Amar Ekushey-'Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February'-- was playing.
The president was the first to lay the wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar. Just after the president, the prime minister placed the wreath at the Shaheed Minar. They

stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the language heroes.
Ministers, advisers to the prime minister, parliament members, the chiefs of the three services, diplomats, senior Awami League leaders, high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.
On his arrival at the Shaheed Minar, the president was received by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique. Flanked by cabinet members and senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, later placed another wreath at the Shaheed Minar on behalf of the party.
Later, BNP chief Khaleda Zia placed a floral wreath at the Shaheed Minar around 1:20am. Senior party leaders, including party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were present on the occasion.
Different political parties and their front organisations as well as socio-cultural organisations have chalked various programmes to mark the day.
On February 21, 1952, students and the common people in Dhaka had taken to the streets in protest against the then Pakistani government’s denial of Bangla as the national language and imposition of Urdu as the sole 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 processions from the Dhaka University campus defying section 144 to press home their demand for the recognition of Bangla as a state language of the then Pakistan.
The Pakistan government was ultimately compelled to incorporate an article in the constitution on February 29, 1956 that declared ‘the state language of Pakistan shall be Urdu and Bengali’. The protest sparked on February 21 in 1952 progressed into the long-drawn struggle that eventually led to the birth of independent Bangladesh in 1971.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have issued separate messages on the occasion.
In his message, the president said the spirit of ‘Amar Ekushey’, transcending the boundary of Bangladesh, is now inspiring the people of different languages of the world to protect and preserve their own languages and cultures.
Language Martyrs Day, therefore, has now been appeared as an indomitable source of inspiration for protecting languages and self-uniqueness of people around the globe,” he said.
In her message, the prime minister said, “The greatest Ekushey is the symbol of our democratic values, Bangali nationalism, spirit of liberation struggle and secularism.”
She urged all to join hands with the spirit of the immortal Ekushey sinking all petty differences for the development of the country and upholding the democratic values. “Let’s build a non-communal, hunger-poverty free and happy prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation,” she added.
In her message, the BNP chairperson said, It’s a significant day in our national life. The students of Dhaka University on that day took to the streets and sacrificed their lives to protect the right of mother tongue Bangla and uphold its dignity. Their glorious sacrifices paved the way for a movement for the nation’s independence.”

 

Nation observes Amar Ekushey

The Amar Ekushey, the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day, is being observed in the country as elsewhere across the globe today with due fervour, reports UNB. Marking the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid their homage to the martyrs of the historic language movement by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at one minute past midnight today. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived at the Shaheed Minar 12 minutes before the clock struck 12 midnight. President Abdul Hamid reached the Central Shaheed Minar eight minutes before the zero hour. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proceeded to the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar together at a slow pace as the immortal song on Amar Ekushey-Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February-- was playing. The president was the first to lay the wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar. Just after the president, the prime minister placed the wreath at the Shaheed Minar. They stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the language heroes. Ministers, advisers to the prime minister, parliament members, the chiefs of the three services, diplomats, senior Awami League leaders, high civil and military officials were present on the occasion. On his arrival at the Shaheed Minar, the president was received by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique. Flanked by cabinet members and senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, later placed another wreath at the Shaheed Minar on behalf of the party. Later, BNP chief Khaleda Zia placed a floral wreath at the Shaheed Minar around 1:20am. Senior party leaders, including party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were present on the occasion. Different political parties and their front organisations as well as socio-cultural organisations have chalked various programmes to mark the day. On February 21, 1952, students and the common people in Dhaka had taken to the streets in protest against the then Pakistani governments denial of Bangla as the national language and imposition of Urdu as the sole 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 processions from the Dhaka University campus defying section 144 to press home their demand for the recognition of Bangla as a state language of the then Pakistan. The Pakistan government was ultimately compelled to incorporate an article in the constitution on February 29, 1956 that declared the state language of Pakistan shall be Urdu and Bengali. The protest sparked on February 21 in 1952 progressed into the long-drawn struggle that eventually led to the birth of independent Bangladesh in 1971. President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have issued separate messages on the occasion. In his message, the president said the spirit of Amar Ekushey, transcending the boundary of Bangladesh, is now inspiring the people of different languages of the world to protect and preserve their own languages and cultures. Language Martyrs Day, therefore, has now been appeared as an indomitable source of inspiration for protecting languages and self-uniqueness of people around the globe, he said. In her message, the prime minister said, The greatest Ekushey is the symbol of our democratic values, Bangali nationalism, spirit of liberation struggle and secularism. She urged all to join hands with the spirit of the immortal Ekushey sinking all petty differences for the development of the country and upholding the democratic values. Lets build a non-communal, hunger-poverty free and happy prosperous Sonar Bangla as dreamt by the Father of the Nation, she added. In her message, the BNP chairperson said, Its a significant day in our national life. The students of Dhaka University on that day took to the streets and sacrificed their lives to protect the right of mother tongue Bangla and uphold its dignity. Their glorious sacrifices paved the way for a movement for the nations independence.