DHAKA: The nation is set to observe Amar Ekushey paying homage to the martyrs of the language movement of 1952 a minute after midnight past on Friday (Feb 21) by placing flowers at Shaheed Minars across the country.

The Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka has been decorated for the observance of Shaheed Dibas, which has also been observed simultaneously as the International Mother Language Day since 2000 following a UNESCO decision announced in November 1999.

On this day in 1952, students and people from all strata of society took to the streets in Dhaka to protest the then Pakistan government's refusal to recognize Bangla as one of the state languages and imposition of Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan.

Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Shafiur, Jabbar and some other brave sons of the soil sacrificed their lives on this day to establish Bangla as the state language.

The Language Movement is indeed the most important turning point in the history of Bangalee as its spirit led to the Independence of Bangladesh through a bloody nine-month war in 1971.

Like other years, Dhaka University is supervising the Amar Ekushey observance programmes.

Students of the university’s fine art faculty decorated the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka and the walls around the monument with various graffiti. Roads have been decorated with the national flag, festoons and cardboard cut-outs with Bangla letters.

People from all walks of life will place wreaths at Shaheed Minars singing in chorus ‘Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February, Ami Ki Bhulite Pari’, standing in solemn silence for a while and file past the altar in honour of the language movement heroes.

President Abdul Hamid is expected to lead the nation to pay tribute to language heroes at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, built in memory of the martyrs, a minute past midnight. The president will be followed by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the speaker, the chief justice, and Dhaka University teachers, language movement heroes and others.

Later, people from all walks of life would throng the area to pay floral tributes to the martyrs.

Different political parties, including the ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, socio-cultural and professional organisations and educational institutions have taken elaborate programmes to mark the day.

DMP have drawn up a four-tier security while RAB to ensure three-tire security for the Central Shaheed Minar and in its vicinity.

The entire area would be under the supervision of CCTV and visitors would need to cross multiple archways and checkpoints to enter the premises.

Bomb disposal squads, Special Weapon and Tactics personnel, police personnel in plain clothes, patrol and roof-top security will be deployed to maintain law and order around the Central Shaheed Minar, he said.

Traffic will not be allowed on roads passing by the Shaheed Minar between 6:00pm on Thursday and 2:00pm on Friday except for vehicles with authorised stickers.

BDST: 1742 HRS, FEB 20, 2020

SMS