17 people get Ekushey Memorial Awards: Bengali nationalism emerged thru language movement: CCC Mayor

Chattogram Bureau :
Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury commented that the independence of Bangladesh came from the spirit of Bengali nationalism born through the language movement under the leadership of Bangabandhu. On the occasion of Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day, the Mayor said that through the language movement, Bengalis understand that they need to build a nation state based on their individual
identity. Bengali nationalism was born out of this consciousness. Later, under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh was born through the bloody liberation war united on
the basis of Bengali nationalism.
“I am ashamed that even after all these years of language movement we have not been able to implement Bengali language everywhere. It is not possible to implement the Bengali language everywhere only by making laws or imposing jail sentences, but only when the sense of compassion and freedom towards the Bengali language is awakened among the people, the Bengali language will be implemented everywhere,” he said.
The 17 meritorious people who received the Ekushey Memorial Medal this year are: AK Khan (posthumous) for industrial development and social service, Bulbul Chowdhury (posthumous) for culture, Maulvi Syed Ahmad (posthumous) for liberation war and freedom movement, Mohammad Ezaharul Haque (posthumous) for language movement. Posthumous), Shafayet Ahmad Siddiqui (Posthumous) in Education, MA in development and promotion of newspaper industry; Malek, Dr PB Roy and Dr Shamirul Islam Babu (posthumous) in medicine, Nurul Amin in journalism, Ashish Bhadra in sports, Anwar Hossain Pintu in short films and research, Khalid Ahsan (posthumously) and Rizwan Mahmood in poetry, Anwara Alam in essays and research, Azad Bulbul in fiction, Utpal Kanti Barua and Jaseem Mehbub in children’s literature for their contribution to literature.
Daily Azadi editor M A Malek, Anwara Alam, AM Ziauddin Khan, son of AK Khan, expressed their feelings after receiving the medal. CCC Chief Education Officer Lutfun Nahar gave a welcome speech in the discussion meeting. Convener of Councilor Book Fair, Councilor Dr Nishar Uddin Ahmed Manju, CCC Secretary Khaled Mahmud, Councilor Abdus Salam Masum, Hoore Ara Beauty, Chief Revenue Officer Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam, Private Secretary to the Mayor Muhammad Abul Hashem, Special Magistrate Manisha Mahajan, Regional Executive Officer Md Rezaul Karim, Education Officer Ujala Rani Chakma, Deputy Secretary Ashek Rasul Chowdhury Tipu also spoke on the occasion.