UNB, Dhaka :Language movement hero Abdul Matin passed away at a city hospital on Wednesday morning. He was 88.Abdul Matin, who is popularly known as Bhasha Matin, had been on life support at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) since Saturday.Physicians at the hospital removed his life support around 9am yesterday, said his wife Gulbadan Nesa Monika.His body will be laid in state at the Central Shaheed Minar from 10am on Thursday so that people from all walks of life pay their last respects to the language movement hero.Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia expressed shock at the death of the language movement hero.In separate messages, they prayed for salvation of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.Abdul Matin underwent a surgery at the BSMMU after he suffered a stroke on August 18.He was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital on August 19. Later, he was kept on life support at the BSMMU on Saturday following deterioration of his condition.Born on December 3, 1926, Abdul Matin was an active activist of the Language Movement in 1952. He is one of the leading student leaders and organisers of the movement. His contribution to the movement has been hailed by the other activists and students as he was popularly known as Bhasha Matin.Matin was admitted to Darjeeling School in 1932. After passing the matriculation in 1943, he came back to erstwhile East Pakistan. Later that year he was admitted to Rajshahi College. According to him, he had no political consensus before getting into the college. He was graduated in 1947.Matin was active during the language movement. When the government decided not to include Bangla as one of the official languages, students protested on March 11, 1948, where Matin joined for picketing. On March 24, 1948 after Mohammad Ali Jinnah made his speech at Race Course Maidan (currently Suhrawardy Udyan), he came to Dhaka University for convocation. Matin was also present at the ceremony to receive his degree. When Jinnah repeated his position about language policy, Matin stood up at the chair and shouted, ‘No, it can’t be’. Other students also supported him during that time.On 11 March, 1951, a rally was held at Dhaka University, organised by the then East Pakistan Chhatra League, when Matin was selected as convener of the Dhaka University Language Action Committee. He was also present at the meeting on January 30, 1952 and became a member of the Sarbadalio Rashtrabhasha Karmaparishad.
