Bangladesh to Observe 74th Language Movement Anniversary with Nationwide Tributes

Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day will be observed on Saturday, commemorating the 74th anniversary of the historic Language Movement of 1952.

People from all walks of life will pay heartfelt tributes to the language martyrs, who sacrificed their lives to establish Bangla as the state language. The observance will begin at 12:01am with the laying of wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital. Wearing black badges, citizens will also place floral tributes at the graves of the martyrs.

February 21 is recognized globally as International Mother Language Day after UNESCO declared it so on November 17, 1999.

On February 21, 1952, Salam, Rafique, Shafique, Jabbar and Barkat were killed in police firing in front of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital while demanding that Bangla be recognized as a state language of then Pakistan. Their sacrifice inspired further resistance movements, eventually culminating in Bangladesh’s War of Independence.

Although the Pakistani government recognized Bangla as one of the state languages on February 29, 1956, alongside Urdu, the broader struggle against discrimination and repression continued, ultimately leading to independence.

The day is a public holiday. National flags will be flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government, autonomous and private institutions, as well as educational establishments.

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has arranged extensive nationwide programs to observe the day with due solemnity. According to decisions taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at Bangla Academy in Dhaka on January 13, the observance will include commemorative, cultural and educational activities across the country.

Special guidelines on the proper display of the national flag will be broadcast and published by Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, private television and radio channels, and print media.

In the early hours of the day, the president and the prime minister will pay homage at the Central Shaheed Minar. Following their tribute, dignitaries, foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka, representatives of ministries and organisations involved in Ekushey celebrations, and political leaders will lay wreaths. Law enforcement agencies will ensure additional security for 30 minutes after the official tribute to facilitate the process.

Enhanced security measures will also be in place at the Shaheed Minar premises and Azimpur Graveyard to manage crowds and prevent any untoward incidents.

Throughout the day, government and private television channels, Bangladesh Betar and community radio stations will air special programmes. Streets and important intersections in Dhaka will be decorated with festoons featuring alphabets of all ethnic communities of the country, including Bangla.

Special prayers will be offered at mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship for the eternal peace of the martyrs’ souls.

The Mass Communication Department will organise mobile musical performances on trucks across Dhaka and boat-based cultural programmes on surrounding waterways. Mobile film screenings will also be arranged at district and upazila levels, while Bangladesh missions abroad will observe the day with due respect.

Bangladesh Shishu Academy will host drawing competitions, poetry recitations and cultural events for children. Bangla Academy will organise the Ekushey Book Fair, joined by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the Public Library Department, Bangladesh National Museum, the National Book Centre, the National Kabi Kazi Nazrul Institute, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Islamic Foundation and other publishing organisations. Special children’s publications will also be released to mark the occasion.

Children, students, senior citizens and persons with special needs will enjoy free entry to Bangladesh National Museum and its branch museums, Shilpacharya Zainul Folk and Crafts Museum, Bangladesh Folk and Crafts Foundation, and all archaeological sites and museums under the Department of Archaeology.

Additionally, Bangladesh National Museum and the Museum of Independence will screen documentaries, display archival materials on the Language Movement, exhibit graffiti from the 2024 mass uprising, and organise Bangla handwriting competitions and seminars for children and adolescents.

Public libraries at divisional, district and upazila levels will arrange writing and drawing competitions, as well as discussions on the Language Movement.

City corporations, municipalities, district councils, upazila councils and union councils will observe the day in line with the national programmes, ensuring nationwide participation in honoring the martyrs of the Language Movement.