Heroes honoured
Bare-footed, wearing black and white and holding flowers, thousands of people from all walks of life thronged the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital and elsewhere of the country to pay homage to the Language Movement heroes yesterday.
On February 21, 1952, students and people from all walks of life took to the streets in Dhaka to protest the erstwhile Pakistan government's refusal to recognise Bangla as one of the state languages and imposition of Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan.
Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Shafiur, Jabbar and a few others were killed when police opened fire on their procession.
Unesco in 1999 declared February 21 as the International Mother Language Day. The day is being observed worldwide since then.
Yesterday in the capital, people had started gathering at the Shaheed Minar before the midnight.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led the nation in paying the homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at the first minute of the day, reports UNB.
They stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the heroes.
In Chittagong city, the day was observed with placing floral wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar. People from all spheres of life including politicians and members of different socio-cultural organisations took part in the "Probhat Pheri" (procession).
Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin and Chittagong City BNP Acting President Abu Sufian, among others, offered flowers, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
Teachers and students of Chittagong University also observed the day by placing flowers at the Shaheed Minar on the campus.
In Gazipur, several hundred people in Shreepur upazila marked the day through placing wreaths at an age-old Shaheed Minar in Kewa Bazar area.
They urged the authorities concerned to renovate the Shaheed Minar and expand its premises, reports our Gazipur correspondent.
Meanwhile, Cadet College Club Limited marked the day with arranging special programmes and a book fair at its premises in the capital's Gulshan, says a press release.
In Nilphamari, two rival groups of Jubo League locked in a clash in Kishoreganj upazila, allegedly over offering floral wreaths, leaving two activists injured.
Witnesses said the factions engaged in a clash with arms and sharp weapons at the Shaheed Minar premises around midnight after the announcer called one group to pay homage before the other.
As the police intervened, both the factions left the venue chanting slogans, reports our Nilphamari correspondent.
Bazlur Rashid, officer-in-charge of Kishoreganj Police Station, said the situation could not deteriorate as the police brought it under control.
In Patuakhali, miscreants ransacked a makeshift Shaheed Minar overnight at Dokkhin Muradia Mohila Degree Madrasa in Dumki upazila, reports our Patuakhali correspondent.
Dibakar Chandra Das, officer-in-charge of Dumki Police Station, said police was investigating the incident after a general diary was filed with them.
BANGLADESH MISSIONS
Bangladesh missions in India also recalled the sacrifice made by the language heroes through arranging various programmes.
Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, West Bengal of India, observed the day with arranging a "Prabhat Pheri" from Park Circus to the mission office, reports our Kolkata correspondent.
Deputy High Commissioner Toufique Hasan said the day is significant not only for Bangladeshis but also for the Bangalees living all over the world.
Programmes marking the day were also arranged at the mission offices in New Delhi, Agartala, Assam and Mumbai.
People from both sides of the Petrapol-Benapol border arranged a programme to mark the day.
The day was observed with solemn respect in Bangladesh missions in Tokyo of Japan, Riyad of Saudi Arabia, and Manila of the Philippines, according to press releases.