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21th FEBRUARY- INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY

Raquib

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Nation set to honour language martyrs
Fri, Feb 20th, 2009 9:37 pm BdST


Dhaka, Feb 20 (bdnews24.com) – The nation is ready to pay tribute to the martyred heroes of the Language Movement Saturday, when the international community observes the International Mother Language Day, amid security fears.

A militant of outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh in handcuffs exploded a grenade Friday at the office of the superintendent of police for Gazipur Sadar, wounding at least 12 people.

Thousands of people flocked to the Central Shaheed Minar leaving their cars at the access to the Dhaka University campus which houses the monument.

The day, fondly recalled as The Amar Ekushey or Immortal Ekushey, meaning 21st February, 1952 when students and others spilled their blood to demand the recognition of Bengali as the state language in then the East Pakistan, reminds the nation of the struggle to uphold the dignity of the nation.

President Zillur Rahman will lead the nation in pouring tributes to the heroes one minute past midnight Friday at the Central Shaheed Minar on the Dhaka University campus.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will follow him to place floral wreaths at the monument.

UNESCO proclaimed Feb. 21 the International Mother Language Day on Nov 17, 1999 to honour the supreme sacrifice of language martyrs Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar, Shafiur and the ones whose names could not be known.

Since the UNESCO proclamation, 188 countries across the globe observe the day to promote linguistic diversity, multilingual education, and to raise awareness about cultural traditions based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

Different governmental, non-governmental, socio-cultural and political organisations have taken up elaborate programmes to observe the day.

The programmes include placing wreaths at the graves of the language martyrs at Azimpur graveyard, discussions, cultural events and paintings.

State-run Bangladesh Television will beam the tribute ceremony live from the Central Shaheed Minar. Newspapers will publish special supplements highlighting the significance of the day.

The prime minister, leader of the opposition in parliament Khaleda Zia, speaker Abdul Hamid and other political leaders in separate messages paid glowing respects to the language movement martyrs.

'Foolproof security'

A three-tier security will be put in place at the Central Shaheed Minar with the deployment of some 7000-strong police and 750 RAB members, a top police official said Thursday.

There will also be 400 members of intelligence agencies and a bomb disposal unit of police and RAB, along with 28 close circuit TV cameras at Shaheed Minar area.

Special Security Forces have taken charge of Shaheed Minar area, while its adjacent areas by RAB-3, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Naim Ahmed on Thursday said.



Nation set to honour language martyrs :: Bangladesh :: bdnews24.com ::
 
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