Prime Minister Pays Profound Tribute to Language Martyrs

In the solemn early hours of Amar Ekushey (the 21st of February), Prime Minister Tarique Rahman led the nation in paying profound respects to the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement. This year’s observance, marking the 74th anniversary of the historic movement, saw the newly elected Prime Minister visiting the Central Shaheed Minar at the stroke of midnight to honour those who sacrificed their lives for the right to speak their mother tongue.

A Midnight Procession of Honour

The ceremony commenced with President Mohammed Shahabuddin placing the first floral wreath at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar precisely at 12:01 am on Saturday. Shortly thereafter, at 12:08 am, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman approached the monument to the poignant strains of the immortal song, “Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano Ekushey February”.

Stepping forward with solemnity, the Prime Minister laid a wreath at the foot of the monument. After the tribute, he stood in silence for several minutes, a gesture of deep reverence for the heroes whose blood paved the way for the recognition of Bangla as a state language and eventually the independence of Bangladesh.

National Prayers and Collective Remembrance

Following the floral tributes, the Prime Minister participated in a special munajat (prayer) seeking the eternal peace of the souls of the language martyrs. This prayer also encompassed the heroes of the 1971 Liberation War, the 1990 anti-autocracy movement, and the more recent 2024 July Uprising, weaving together the various threads of the nation’s struggle for democracy and rights.

The prayer session was followed by:

Cabinet Tribute: The Prime Minister returned to the altar flanked by members of the newly formed Cabinet and his senior advisors to lay another wreath.

Party Homage: As the Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), he was then joined by the party’s Standing Committee members for a final organisational tribute.

Public Opening: Once the high-level state protocol concluded, the Shaheed Minar was opened to the public, with thousands of people arriving barefoot with flowers to join the sea of remembrance.

Significance of International Mother Language Day

A New Chapter for the Nation

This observance holds particular significance as it is Tarique Rahman’s first tribute at the Central Shaheed Minar as Prime Minister, following his return from exile and the BNP’s landslide victory in the 13th National Election. In his official message to the nation, the Premier called for collective efforts to protect the dignity of all languages worldwide and vowed to consolidate the democratic journey that the Language Movement originally inspired.