Recognise country's first martyrs' memorial

Claimed by local Language Movement veterans and historians in Rajshahi as the country's first Shaheed Minar, this memorial post on the premises of Muslim Hostel in Rajshahi College was reconstructed in 2009.Photo: STAR

Language Movement veterans as well as common people of Rajshahi observed the Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day yesterday demanding official recognition of the Language Movement martyrs' memorial at Rajshahi College as the country's first Shaheed Minar.
A clay and brick made post, erected at the entrance of Muslim Hostel of Rajshahi College on the very night of February 21, 1952, was the first memorial built in honour of the language martyrs, said Language Movement veterans and historians of Rajshahi.
Referring to documents and witnesses' accounts, they have been demanding official recognition of the memorial as the country's first Shaheed Minar.
The news of police firing on students and martyrdom of a few people in Dhaka reached Rajshahi through a special telegram on February 21 in 1952.
Local students brought out a protest procession and held a secret meeting at Rajshahi College at around 9:00pm, said Golam Arif Tipu (now an eminent lawyer) and Sayeed Uddin Ahmed who attended the meeting.
Among others, Dr SMA Gaffar (late), Momtaz Uddin Ahmed (eminent dramatist), Habibur Rahman Shelly (former caretaker government chief and chief justice), Abul Hossain and Abdur Razzak participated in the meeting that formed a Chhatra Sangram Parishad with Gaffar as president and Tipu and Shelly as joint secretaries.
As per decisions of the newly formed committee, students and local people built the martyrs memorial by 12:00am, said Sayeed Uddin Ahmed.
However, Muslim League activists aided by police and army damaged the Shaheed Minar in the morning. The following night, another monument was erected nearby but it too was damaged the next morning.
Most Shaheed Minars of Rajshahi were also damaged during the 1971 Liberation War.
After independence, the Shaheed Minar at Muslim Hostel was rebuilt. It was reconstructed in 2009, adding to the popular support for the demand of its recognition as the country's first Shaheed Minar.