Every year, we take a step back to commemorate our gallant heroes who sacrificed their lives on the fateful day of February 21, 1952 in a bid to defend and uphold our mother tongue and secure it as state language.
Taking on the powerful state machinery of Pakistan, these young men defended the right of every Bengali citizen to speak their own language. In many respects, the language movement was more than a movement to defend the Bengali language; it was an endeavour to defend all that we hold dear in terms of national cultural identity. And now, for more than a decade, the whole world celebrates ‘Amor Ekushey’ with us in the name of International Mother Language Day. That alone should give us a lot of sense of pride to have the recognition of our identity.
Ekushey February (21st February) is known in Bangladesh as Shaheed Dibosh (Martyrs’ Day). The day has been recognised by UNESCO and is now known worldwide as International Mother Language Day. We grew up reading about the great day and what it stands for but still, there are facts about Ekushey February that are lesser known.
On February 21, we remember the Bangla Language Movement martyrs Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat, Abdul Jabbar, and Ohiullah for sacrificing their lives to speak their mother tongues. We should not forget the significance of this day.
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