Amar Ekushey today
The nation is paying rich tributes to the Martyrs of the Historic Language Movement with the clock striking 00.01am on Tuesday marking ‘Amar Ekushey’, the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day.
People at home and abroad have been observing the ‘International Mother Language Day’ since last 17 years.
In 2000, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day.
Walking barefoot to the Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing ‘Amar bhaiyer roktey rangano Ekushey February’, people are paying their deep respects to the Language Movement heroes who sacrificed their lives for achieving the recognition of Bangla as the State Language of erstwhile Pakistan on this day in 1952. The day is a public holiday. The national flag will be hoisted at half-mast atop all educational institutions, government, semi-government and autonomous offices and private buildings across the country.
On this day in 1952, when students defying Section 144 started marching forward demanding recognition of Bangla as an official language, police opened fire and killed a number of students, including Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat and Abdul Jabbar in the city’s Dhaka University area.
The Language Movement was the forerunner of the nationalist movement that culminated in the Liberation War in 1971 and won the nation independence.
On March 21 in 1948, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first governor general of the then Pakistan, in a public meeting in city’s Suhrawardy Udyan, formerly known as Race course Maidan, had said, “let me make it very clear to you that the State Language of Pakistan is going to be Urdu and no other language.” “Therefore, so far as the state language is concerned, Pakistan’s shall be Urdu,” he had mentioned.
These comments generated enormous anger and resentment in the hearts of the Bengalis of the then East Pakistan and prompted voices of protest even at the public rally.
And later in the face of massive upsurge, the then Pakistan government granted Bangla the status of official language in 1956. Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia have issued separate messages on the occasion. Amid tight security arrangements, President Abdul Hamid was scheduled to pay tributes to the Language Martyrs by placing wreaths at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar at 00:01 am followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hasina alongwith her cabinet members, advisers, lawmakers and party leaders was also scheduled to place another wreath on behalf of her party.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will also pay tribute to the Language Martyrs and place wreaths at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar.
Agency adds: Authorities of Dhaka University (DU) have chalked out comprehensive programmes to observe the Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day with due solemnity. Marking the day, a Provat Feri, led by Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, will be brought out from Aparajeyo Bangla premises on the campus at 6.30 am which will end on the Central Shaheed Minar premises following placing floral wreaths there after visiting the Azimpur Graveyard. However, Fateha will be offered seeking eternal peace of the Language Movement Martyrs at Amar Ekushey Hall, mosques of all dormitories and at central mosque of the University. Besides, a weeklong drama festival will begin at Teacher-Student Center (TSC) on the campus on February 21 organised by the Theatre and Performance Studies Department of the university. Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor is expected to address the inaugural function as the chief guest while VC Prof Arefin will inaugurate the festival.
The festival will end on February 27
Meanwhile, Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende arrived in Dhaka yesterday morning to pay homage to Language Martyrs of the great language movement at Central Shaheed Minar in the first hour of Amar Ekushey.
He is visiting Bangladesh as the first ever foreign minister from any Nordic Country to Bangladesh.
Stringent security measures have been taken across the country especially in the large cities, for peaceful observance of the Shaheed Dibosh and International Mother Language Day today. Police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have taken special security measures at Central Shaheed Minar at Divisional cities and District headquarters across the country with deployment of law enforcers in large numbers and installing Closed Circuit Camera Televisions (CCTVs) and archways.
Intelligence surveillance has been intensified aimed at warding off any sorts of criminal activities centering the observance of the Day. Check posts have been set up at different strategic points across the country to make the security foolproof.
“RAB personnel in large numbers have been deployed across the country to ensure overall security for peaceful observance of the Shaheed Dibos,” Director General (DG) of RAB Benazir Ahmed said yesterday while elaborating on their security arrangement. “Bomb squad and striking force of the RAB have been kept ready to face any untoward situation,” he also said. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has taken a four-tier security measure for Central Shaheed Minar and its adjoining areas alongside with a three-tier security arrangement taken by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for smooth and peaceful observance of the Shaheed Dibosh. “Necessary security measures have been taken at Central Shaheed Minar and its adjoining areas with four-tier deployment of law enforcers for peaceful observance of the Shaheed Dibosh,” said DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia. “Appropriate numbers of archways and closed circuit camera televisions (CCTVs) have been installed in all the entry gates and strategic points of the Central Shaheed Minar to make the security foolproof,” he said, adding that a cell has been formed to monitor the CCTVs round the clock.
“None will be allowed to enter the main venue without search while sweeping will be conducted by the dog and bomb disposal squads,” he said.
Plain clothed law enforcers have been deployed alongside with setting up of watch tower to bring the Central Shaheed Minar area under special security surveillance, he also said.
Special security measures have been taken for the foreigners and diplomats to ensure their security, he informed.
Route map: The ‘Ekushey Udjapan Samonnay Committee’ on Saturday finalized a route map for going to the Shaheed Minar on the historic Shaheed Dibosh on Tuesday. The route map came into force from 8:00pm on Monday.
According to the route, people will enter Azimpur graveyard through the old High Court road, Doyel Crossing, Bangla Academy, TSC crossing, road beside Vice-Chancellor’s residence and New Market crossing. After offering fateha at the graves of the Martyrs, they will come out through the main gate (South) of the graveyard and go through Azimpur Road, Palashi crossing and Fuller Road. Those who want to go to Shaheed Minar without visiting the graveyard will use the road on the west of Zahurul Huq Hall after crossing the Vice-Chancellor’s residence.
The Shaheed Minar could also be reached through the road in front of Home Economic College and Eden College via Azimpur crossing and Palashi crossing.
From Chankharpul area, people can go to Shaheed Minar through Bakshibazar crossing, Palashi crossing and the road in front of Jagannath Hall. It is to be noted that the road on the east of Jagannath Hall from TSC will remain completely closed. After placing wreaths at the Shaheed Minar, people will go through the road in front of the university playground, Doyel Chattar and Chankharpul. Meanwhile, the government has taken extensive programmes to observe the ‘Shaheed Dibash’ and the International Mother Language Day today. In line with the national programmes, the day would be observed by all educational institutions, city corporations, pourasabhas, the district and upazila administrations and Bangladesh missions abroad.
Quran Khwani, Milad Mahfil and special munajats will be held at Azimpur graveyard in the city for the martyrs of the Language Movement. Different road islands and important spots in the city were decorated with festoons inscribed with Bangla alphabet. Various organizations and institutes, including Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Nazrul Institute, Jatiya Grantha Kendra, Islamic Foundation, National Museum, International Mother Language Institute and Shishu Academy, are observing the day across the country through different programmes.
The programmes include book fair, discussions, recitation, essay writing competition and cultural function.
