Bangladesh pays tribute paid to language martyrs on International Mother Language Day

By  News On Air   Feb 21, 2025

Bangladesh is observing the historic Language Day named ‘Amar Ekushey’ today, paying tribute to the martyrs who laid their lives during the language movement in 1952 demanding Bangla as the official language for then East Pakistan. Scores of students were killed on this day in 1952 when Pakistani forces fired upon them during the protest leading to widespread civil unrest.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus paid homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka after midnight last night. The Amar Ekushey song ‘Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February… Ami Ki Bhulitey Pari’ (21 February was smeared with the blood of our brothers … can we ever forget their sacrifice) played in the background.

Advisers to the interim government, chiefs of the three services, freedom fighters, diplomats and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion. Hundreds of people including students from schools and colleges, youth and the elderly, children, men and women individually and representing various organizations paid their respects to the language martyrs since early morning across Bangladesh.

Looking at the massive crowd at the Central Shaheed Minar, it’s clear that 21 February brings forth the spontaneous reverence of the people of Bangladesh for the martyrs who fought for the Bangla language. The struggle began with the historic resolution placed by freedom fighter Dhirendra Nath Dutta in the Pakistan parliament on 25 February 1948 to make Bangla one of the state languages of Pakistan. Dhirendra Nath Dutta had to ultimately pay the price for his fearless demand more than 23 years later when he was brutally murdered by the rampaging Pakistani armed forces in 1971.

The struggle for the honour of the mother tongue was carried forward by leaders like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and hundreds of youth who lost their lives over more than two decades seeking to make Bangla the official language of East Pakistan. The Amar Ekushey remembers the sacrifice of the martyrs whose role was foundational in the emergence of an independent Bangladesh on 16 December 1971.

Different social and cultural organisations, TV channels and media outlets have organised special programmes on this occasion. The national flag is flying at half mast at all government and autonomous organisations.