Ekushey
photo: Driknews
On February 21, 1952 the valiant soldiers of the Language Movement shed their blood for upholding the dignity of our dear mother tongue-- Bangla. The Language Movement was not led by the Awami League. The movement was started on 11 March 1949. The very party Awami League was not born at that time. Awami League was born on June 23, 1949. Dhirendra Nath Dutta, a Congress leader of the British days, placed the demand before parliament-- he was the first man to demand Bengali as the state language of Pakistan. Principal Abul Quasem and his organisation "Tamuddun Majlish" also played a vital rule in the years before the Language Movement. This was a prelude to our struggle for sovereignty and independent existence. The Language Movement gave a new momentum to our crusade against all disparities created by the then regime. The blood of martyrs of the Language Movement did not go in vain. It helped carve out a separate and distinct entity for the Bengalees. Ekushey February instils in us the determination to fight for the right cause. The cause of mother tongue was dear to one and all. The sublime sacrifices of those who laid down their lives for the cause of the mother tongue shall remain ever green in the hearts of the people. Ekushey February should not be observed as a yearly ritual only. Unesco has proclaimed February 21 as the International Mother Language Day to be observed globally in recognition of the sacrifices of the martyrs for establishing the rightful place of their mother tongue. The proclamation came in the form of a resolution and was adopted at the plenary of Unesco at its headquarters in Paris on November 17, 1999. Ekushey tells us to shun differences, give up partisan politics and unite for the just cause. On this day we can ask our politicians whether they are following the path shown by our language martyrs. Those martyrs did not hesitate the least in sacrificing their precious lives for the cause of Bangla language. Certainly, we have drifted away from the path shown by them.
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