Tomorrow, Bangladesh will observe Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day, marking the 74th anniversary of the 1952 Language Movement. People across the country will pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to establish Bangla as a state language.
The Ekushey programme will begin at 12:01 am at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka with wreath-laying ceremonies. Citizens wearing black badges will also visit the graves of language heroes to honor their memory.
UNESCO recognized February 21 as International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999. On February 21, 1952, Salam, Rafiq, Shafiq, Jabbar, and Barkat were killed in police firing near Dhaka Medical College while campaigning for Bangla. Their sacrifice paved the way for the recognition of Bangla as one of Pakistan’s state languages on February 29, 1956, and later contributed to the independence of Bangladesh.
The day is a public holiday. National flags will be flown at half-mast on all government, semi-government, autonomous, private institutions, and educational establishments.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs will organize nationwide programmes, including cultural, educational, and commemorative events, in line with decisions from an inter-ministerial meeting at Bangla Academy on January 13. Special broadcasts and publications will provide guidelines for proper flag display.
The President and Prime Minister will lay wreaths at the Shaheed Minar in the early hours. Distinguished personalities, foreign diplomats, ministry representatives, and political leaders will follow. Law enforcement agencies will ensure security for dignitaries and manage public gatherings at the Shaheed Minar and Azimpur Graveyard.
Television channels, Bangladesh Betar, and community radio stations will air special Ekushey programmes throughout the day. Streets, intersections, and public spaces in Dhaka will be decorated with festoons showcasing alphabets of all ethnic communities. Special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples, churches, and other places of worship.
The Mass Communication Department will organize mobile musical concerts on trucks and boat-based cultural programmes around the capital. Mobile film screenings will take place at district and upazila levels. Bangladesh missions abroad will also observe the day.
For children, Bangladesh Shishu Academy will host drawing competitions, rhymes and poem recitations, and cultural events. Bangla Academy will hold the Ekushey Book Fair in collaboration with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the National Book Centre, National Museum, Shishu Academy, and other publishing bodies. Special children’s editions will also be published.
Museums and heritage sites, including the Bangladesh National Museum and the Museum of Independence, will provide free entry for children, students, senior citizens, and persons with special needs. They will also screen documentaries, display archival materials on the Language Movement, and organize competitions and seminars for young audiences.
Public libraries across divisions, districts, and upazilas will hold writing and drawing competitions and discussions to raise awareness about the Language Movement. All local government bodies will participate to ensure nationwide observance.
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