SM Mizanur Rahman :The nation pays rich tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement with the clock striking 00.01am on Sunday marking ‘Amar Ekushey’, the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day. People at home and abroad have been observing the day -‘February 21’ as the ‘Shaheed Dibash’ and the International Mother Language Day for last 16 years. In 2000, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) declared 21 February as International Mother Language Day.Walking barefoot to the Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing ‘Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February’, people will pay 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. President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have issued separate messages on the occasion.Amid tight security arrangements, President Abdul Hamid will pay tributes to the Language Martyrs by placing wreaths at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar at 00:01 am on Sunday followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina along with her Cabinet members, Advisers, lawmakers and party leaders will place another wreath on behalf of her party. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia also will place rich tribute at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar 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, first governor general of the then Pakistan in public meeting in city’s Suhrawardy Udyan formerly known as Race Course maidan 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 East Bengal 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. The government, in the meanwhile, has taken extensive programmes to observe the ‘Shaheed Dibash’ and the International Mother Language Day on February 21.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. In line with the national programmes, the day will be observed by the district, upazila councils and administrations, Bangladesh missions abroad, City Corporations and Municipalities and all the educational institutions including the Madrashas. Quran Khwani, Milad Mahfil and special munajats will be held at Azimpur graveyard in the city for the Martyrs of the Language Movement. Dhaka University authorities will implement programmes at the Central Shaheed Minar in coordination with other relevant agencies. Different road islands and important spots in the city would be decorated with festoons inscribed with Bangla alphabets. The public and private print and electronic media will cover the programmes marking the day. Different political and socio-cultural organisations have also chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day. Besides, 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 will observe the day through different programmes.The programmes include book fair, discussion meetings, recitation, essay writing competition and cultural functions.Meanwhile, a security blanket are in place in and around Central Shaheed Minar with taking extra security measures in preparation for smooth observation of Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day today.Law-enforcement agencies including police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have deployed in large numbers at Central Shaheed Minar and its adjoining areas from Friday evening to this end. All precautionary measures have already been taken in terms of intensified patrolling and striking forces’ surveillance to keep sensitive areas under extra care, says Director General (DG) of RAB Benazir Ahmed. Several closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) have been installed in and around Central Shaheed Minar to make the security foolproof, he said, adding that plainclothes police and members of intelligence agencies remain active on the occasion. Besides, adequate measures also would be taken for the foreign mission representatives here to pay their tribute at the Shaheed Minar.
