National Call for 'Bangla Language Day' on February 21 Emerge from Gazipur Seminar

A seminar held in Gazipur on Saturday, November 15, 2025, put forth a strong national call for the formal celebration of 'Bangla Language Day' every year on February 21. The initiative argues that despite the monumental struggle to establish Bengali, the language still lacks a specific day of national recognition beyond the commemorative 'Martyrs' Day.'

The seminar was jointly organized by the Bangla Language Movement Council, Sahitya Omnibas, and Gazipur Media Center, and was presided over by Atiqul Islam, President of the Bangla Language Movement Council.

Saba Binte Murtaz, General Secretary of Sahitya Omnibas, presented historical data indicating that 'National Language Day' was previously celebrated on March 11 in East Pakistan from 1949 to 1951. However, the tradition of a separate language day was lost after February 21 was officially declared a public holiday as Martyrs' Day in 1956, amidst Pakistani bureaucratic complexities.

The main article presenter, Julius Chowdhury, convener of the Bengali Language Day Implementation Committee, emphasized that the core motivation of the Language Movement was establishing the status of Bengali. He stated that even five decades after independence, Bengali has not been fully introduced at all levels of the independent state, and critically, "there is no special day in honor of the Bengali language" despite the unprecedented struggle fought for it.

The seminar, hosted by poet and journalist Mohammad Ahsan Habib, saw a large gathering of prominent educational figures, journalists, writers, and representatives of civil society who supported the motion.

Professor Md. Nasimul Bari (Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Gazipur Agricultural University), Professor Md. Rafiqul Islam (Former Principal, Tongi Government College), Mukul Kumar Mallick (Educationist, Journalist, and Writer), Abul Hesen Chowdhury (Associate Professor, Pubail Adarsh University College), Sheema Rani Mondal (Lecturer, Konabari Degree College), Representatives from cultural groups like Sur Tarang, Diganta Theater, Chandra Bindu Theater, and Dosh Diganta Literary and Cultural Center.

The consensus was that while February 21 is Martyrs' Day, there is a clear and necessary distinction to be made to appropriately honor the Bengali language itself with a dedicated 'Bangla Language Day.'