Abdul Aziz: A silent pillar of the Language Movement

The days of the movement for mother language are a priceless treasure for 91-year-old Abdul Aziz, a retired school teacher.

Aziz has not yet been recognised as a language veteran. He now spends most of his time reading books, newspapers, and watching television at his residence in Sankipara, Mymensingh city.

Born to the late Hosmot Ali Sarker and Aher Banu in Binnagor village in Purbadhala upazila of Netrakona in 1934, Aziz was a second-year student at Gurudayal College in Kishoreganj when the flame of protest ignited against the move by the Pakistan rulers to impose Urdu as the state language instead of Bangla.

People from various professions joined the movement, inspiring Aziz and his fellow students at the college to continue the fight. "We, the students from different educational institutions in Kishoreganj, organised ourselves in the afternoon on February 21 and urged people from all walks of life to join us. They spontaneously came forward. The following day, we also brought out a protest procession in the town," said Aziz.

On February 23, they met with Maulana Atahar Ali, the president of the Nejami Islami Kishoreganj district unit and imam of Shaheedi Mosque, convincing him to address several protest rallies against the unjust actions of the rulers.

In the 73 years since the Language Movement, no government list of language veterans has been prepared, said Aziz.

He believes that language veterans should receive special respect, but no such initiatives have been taken. He emphasised that the struggle for freedom began with the spirit of the Language Movement, which served as the birthplace of all democratic movements and ultimately the War of Liberation in 1971.

He said language veterans in distressed circumstances should be supported by government allowances, which he considers a rightful demand.

February 21 has now been recognised as International Mother Language Day, celebrated annually with various programmes. While language martyrs are remembered, the living language veterans are not honoured as they should be, Aziz said.

Having lived in Mymensingh city since 1983, Aziz continued his teaching profession at different educational institutions from 1957 until retiring from Radha Sundari Girls School in 1994.

He served as an advisor to Udichi Mymensingh Sangsad and was initially involved with Awami League politics before joining the Communist Party in 1960. He held the position of president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh's Mymensingh district unit from 1993 to 2016.

Aziz said the deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Abdul Hannan prepared a list of 67 language veterans in Netrakona in 2008, but no follow-up on this list has occurred.

Aziz's son, Md Shafiqul Islam Shafi, expressed pride in their father. He said Aziz has been honoured by many organisations in Mymensingh and Netrakona on different occasions.Advocate Emdadul Haque Millat, president of the CPB Mymensingh district unit, said a few language veterans are still alive and all deserve national recognition as part of the historic movement that led to the country's liberation in 1971.