Jaipurhat: There is no precedent anywhere in the world for giving one’s life for a language, said State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari. “The Language Movement is unique, as nowhere else in the world have people sacrificed their lives for their mother tongue,” he expressed after paying homage at the central Shaheed Minar in Jaipurhat on the occasion of Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a large number of people gathered at Shaheed Dr Abul Kashem Maidan in the early hours of Ekushey February to pay their respects. The programme commenced with State Minister Md Abdul Bari laying a wreath at the Shaheed Minar. Present at the ceremony were Jaipurhat Deputy Commissioner Md Al-Mamun Mia and other district administration officials. Following this, Superintendent of Police Mina Mahmuda, other district police officials, district Jamaat amir, Member of Parliament Md Fazlur Rahman Sayeed of Jaipurhat-1, and leaders of BNP paid their respects.
Subsequently, various political parties and representatives of government and non-government organizations also offered tributes. Abdul Bari noted that UNESCO has recognized the language struggle of Bangladesh and subsequently initiated International Mother Language Day. He recalled the streets of Dhaka being stained with the blood of martyrs Barkat, Rafique, Jabbar, and Salam, emphasizing that the movement aimed at establishing an egalitarian society, equality, justice, democratic rights, and the right to speak in one’s mother tongue.
He prayed for the eternal peace of all those who sacrificed their lives in the Language Movement, Movement for Self-determination (Swadhikar Andolon), the July-August uprising, and the 17-year long democratic struggle. The State Minister further articulated that the struggle for the Language Movement laid the foundation for a just society, the right to speak freely, democracy, the rule of law, and a corruption-free society, which today enables citizens to exercise their voting rights and form governments.
He added that under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the country will be established as a prosperous nation in the global arena, and the sacrifices of the Language Martyrs, the Liberation War martyrs, and those of the July-August uprising will be realized.