Speakers at a ‘Language Movement Award’ giving function said that the ultimate objective of the Language Movement couldn’t be achieved yet.They said, the Language Movement started to give the final shape to our independence in the light of the ‘Lahore Resolution.” Tamaddun Masjlish which had spearheaded the language movement organised the function on the occasion of the International Mother’s Language Day marking the February 21, 1952 at the Jatiya Press Club with chairman of the organization Professor MA Samad in the chair. Former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Emajuddin Ahmed was the chief guest. Former adviser to caretaker government Barrister Mainul Hosein, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Prof Abdul Gafur, journalist Abdul Awal Thakur, Columnist Fahmidur Rahman and advocate Dr. Abdul Mobin among others, who spoke at the function. Professor Emajuddin Ahmed recalled the history of the language movement and its objective. He paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of language movement. Barrister Mainul Hosein said language movement was a political movement to establish Bangla as state language as of our right. We say language movement has taught us not to bow down and give in, he said adding, it is now used as a slogan only without knowing what it means. We give in easily. There was no difficulty in denying our voting right, he added disappointingly.”My father Manik Mia did not believe in or practice journalism of obedience to authority. He did not believe that the journalists will be obliging to political leadership. He gave up membership of the Awami League to show that the journalists are to be independent and leaders of their own,” Mr Hosein reminded. Barrister Mainul explained that his father had hopes in the power of journalists and said that in our present crisis the independence and courage of our journalists could be a great source of hope and courage to the people for a better future. It cannot be acceptable that the people should be denied their rights and we shall be glowingly speak of the sacrifices of Ekushey and the liberation war, Barrister Mainul concluded.Speakers said the language movement and the liberation war of Bangladesh are two sides of the same coin. The final objective of the language movement can’t be achieved until the political, economic and cultural emancipation of the nation can be achieved, they observed. The language movement was successful because of unprecedented unity of divergent groups of people, they said. The nation needs to be united in the same spirit to achieve the desired goal, they added.Later, Tamaddun Majlish honoured with Mother Language Awards to renowned Journalist Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia (Posthumous) for journalism, Abdur Razzak Sonnamoth (Posthumous) for Language Movement, Dr Golam Moksud Hilali (Posthumous) for Bangla Language Research, Dr Ashraf Siddiqui for Literature and Principal Mohammad Hossain (Posthumous) for Language Movement. Dr. Ashraf Siddiqui received the award attending the function. Barrister Mainul Hosein received the award of Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia.
