Asif Al Mahmood :
The most memorable day in our country’s history is February 21st, which we commemorate by performing a traditional song that deeply saddens us and honors the martyrs of our mother tongue: “Amar bhaier rokte rangano ekushe February, Ami ki vulite pari.”
The later periods of our history were influenced by the 1952 language movement. Looking back at the past will help us understand the significance of February 21. In order to preserve unity and fraternity between the peoples of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan, the state of Pakistan was established on the basis of the religious disparities between the two communities of undivided India.
However, over time, the Pakistanis betrayed the mutual trust by ignoring the Bengalis, exploiting them, colonizing them, and creating economic inequality. Mr. Jinna’s announcement that Urdu will be Pakistan’s sole official language was the worst thing they could have done to the Bengalis, shocking and surprising them. The people’s human rights to their language and speech were violated by this haughty decision.
As a result, it was viewed as a humiliation and outright attack on their language and culture by both university students and intellectuals. They started campaigns to make Bangla the official language of the country, marched through the streets of Dhaka, and opposed this pronouncement.
The Pakistani government used coercive tactics to silence the populace. Bullets, bayonets, and tear shells were used by their police and military troops against the defenseless Language Movement demonstrators.
Despite this, there were large-scale marches, protests, and large-scale demonstrations in favor of our mother tongue.
The campaign gained traction over time, and in addition to the injured, many of the activists—including Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Safiur, Jabbar, and others—were martyred by the enemy. The Pak junta acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and gave in to the demands of the local populace, who, from the perspective of the entire population of Pakistan at the time, made up the majority.
Their evil intent to eradicate the local population’s culture was shown by their despotic rule and brutal repression. It prompted them to turn away from the ruling elite out of outrage and hatred toward Pakistanis.
The linguistic movement has the seeds of an independence revolution. Stated differently, the language struggle’s martyrs cleared the path for the eventual liberation movement. Instead, it deepened their affection for the mother tongue, which was made the official language following independence. Bangla as a language started to grow and become more well-known after then.
There was a great deal of inspiration for the language’s authors and users. As a Bengali nation, it also made us feel more strongly aware. Bangla’s reputation and standing as one of the international languages have improved since UNESCO declared February 21 to be International Mother Language Day.
Our language movement’s martyrs are undoubtedly our national heroes, whose selfless sacrifice has prevented our mother tongue from being neglected and marginalized. Every year, both domestically and internationally, we honor the language martyrs by celebrating February 21 as Mother Language Day. Despite their inability to join us and participate in our everyday lives, they hold a special place in our history, and we honor them with grateful gratitude. Years will not condemn them, nor will age wear them down.
