Language Movement paved the way for independence: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said it is the Language Movement in 1952 that paved the way for achieving independence.

"In the history of Bangalees, Language Movement is immensely important. All our achievements came through this movement," she said while conferring the prestigious Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award among recipients.

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs organised the programme at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium with State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid in the chair. The Prime Minister joined it virtually from her official residence Gono Bhaban.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque handed over the Ekushey Padak among the recipients on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Briefly describing the contributions of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the Language Movement, Sheikh Hasina said there was an Education Conference in Karachi in December 1947 that had taken a decision that Urdu will be the state language of Pakistan.

She mentioned that Bangabandhu formed Chhatra League on January 4, 1948 and the decision for the Language Movement had been taken as per his proposal.

Following his (Bangabandhu's) proposal, the 'Sarbadoliya Rashtrabhasha Bangla Sangram Parishad' had been formed at the Fazlul Huq Hall of Dhaka University, comprising Chhatra League, Tamuddin Majish and several other progressive student organisations in March (1948) for the movement to attain recognition of Bangla as a state language, Hasina recalled.

She mentioned that Bangalees attained independence under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through a long struggle starting from the Language Movement.

Quoting from Bangabandhu's speech delivered on February 21, 1971, she said the Language Movement was not waged only to establish the rights of mother tongue, but also to achieve political, social, cultural and economic rights of the Bangalees.

She recalled the sacrifices of the great sons of the soil, including Rafique, Salam, Jabbar, Barkat and Shafique and said they wrote the rights of the mother tongue with blood. "If anyone is interested to know about the details of the Language Movement, I will request them to go through the Pakistan Intelligence Branch reports on Bangabandhu from 1948 to 1971. We're publishing books on those. Seven volumes have already been published while the remaining are under the process of publication," she said.

The Prime Minister reiterated her firm resolve that Bangladesh would progress with dignity, and will not depend on others.

About the coronavirus situation, Sheikh Hasina renewed her call to the people of the country to follow health rules and wear masks even after taking Covid-19 vaccine.

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam read out the citations of the award recipients and conducted the function while Cultural Affairs Secretary M Badrul Arefin delivered the welcome speech.