Happy International Mother Language Day!
Today marks the 62nd anniversary of a pivotal
moment in Bangladesh’s freedom movement. On February 21st, 1952,
students demonstrated for the right to make Bangla, their mother tongue, an official
national language. They represented the majority Bangla-speaking population of what
was then East Pakistan, and resented the Pakistani government’s imposition of
Urdu as the only official language of government. At a demonstration near Dhaka
University that morning, police opened fire on a group of students, killing
several and sparking riots across the city. Students of Dhaka Medical College
constructed a monument overnight to the martyrs of February 21st,
but police destroyed it several days later. Still, Bangladeshis commemorated each
anniversary of Martyr’s Day despite official restrictions, and several years
later Bangla was granted official status. But the language movement marked a
greater division between East and West Pakistan, and was merely the beginning
of a long fight for freedom.
Aaron in front of the Shaheed Minar
A clip from today's paper - people gather to lay wreaths of flowers at the monument
Today’s Shaheed Minar, or Monument of Martyrs, was
constructed in the 1960s, destroyed during the Liberation War, and rebuilt in
1973. 21st February, or Ekushey February, is a national holiday commemorating those who gave their lives for the right to use their mother
tongue. In 1999 UNESCO declared February 21st International Mother
Language Day.
A mural opposite the Shaheed Minar
The Bangla language is a fundamental part of Bangladeshi cultural
identity. This sign reads:
“I am Bengali
Bangla is my country
Bangla is my language”
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