DU unveils mural of Language Movement

Language Movement veteran Abdul Matin, second from left, inaugurates a mural in honour of the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement on the wall of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) building yesterday. Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz, extreme left, was present. PHOTO: STAR

Created by Abdul Aziz, a teacher of the Institute of Fine Art, the mural titled 'Chetonay Ekushey' features portraits of four martyrs -- Rafiq, Salam, Barkat and Jabbar -- with Shaheed Minar in the background.

They along with others sacrificed their lives on February 21 in 1952 for the mother language, Bangla.

In 1999, the Unesco declared February 21 as the International Mother Language Day.

Language Movement veteran Abdul Matin formally inaugurated the mural on the wall of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) building.

Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz, Pro-VC Prof AFM Yusuf Haider, Treasurer of Ducsu Prof Delowar Hossain, caretaker of Ducsu Archives Gopal Das and a number of teachers and students were present at the programme.

Gopal Das had taken the initiative to create the mural.

Addressing the programme, Abdul Matin recalled the days during the Language Movement.

He also thanked the university authorities, specially Gopal Das, for taking such an initiative to promote the spirit of the Language Movement.