Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Thousands in Bangladesh paid homage on Friday to the martyrs of the historic 1952 Language Movement at Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar and memorials across the country, marking International Mother Language Day. President Mohammed Shahabuddin and interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus led the tributes by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Citizens, walking barefoot and singing “Amar Bhaiyer Rokte Rangano Ekushey February” (“Can I forget the twenty-first of February, incarnadined by the love of my brother?”), honored those who laid down their lives for their mother tongue. Security was heightened at the monument to ensure smooth observance of the day.
Manindra Kumar Nath, acting general secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, highlighted the sacrifices made against Pakistan for linguistic rights. “We feel proud to respect the martyrs here. In 1952, people of Bangladesh sacrificed their lives against Pakistan for their language,” he told the media. Expressing optimism about Bangladesh’s future, he added, “Now, International Mother Language Day is celebrated worldwide. We hope our country will become a beautiful democratic and secular nation.”
The 1952 Bengali Language Movement was a landmark protest in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) demanding Bengali as an official language. On February 21, 1952, University of Dhaka students organized a peaceful procession against Pakistan’s decision to impose Urdu as the sole state language. Police opened fire, killing several students, including Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, and Abdul Jabbar. Their sacrifices ultimately forced Pakistan to recognize Bengali as a state language and fueled Bangladesh’s later struggle for independence.
In 1999, UNESCO declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day, recognizing the movement’s significance. Since 2000, the day has been observed globally, honoring linguistic diversity and the right to one’s mother tongue.