Khaleda organises Dua-Mahfil for language martyrs

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has organised a Dua Mahfil at her Gulshan office to pay respects to the language martyrs.

“The Dua Mahfil will be held at the Gulshan office after Asr prayers to pray for the souls of the Language Martyrs. The BNP chairperson will be present there,” Khaleda’s press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told bdnews24.com.

Khaleda skipped her customary visit to the Central Shaheed Minar in the early hours of the International Mother Language Day for the first time after joining politics.

This day in 1952, police shot dead several students protesting against the then Pakistan government decision to impose Urdu as the sole state language on the people of erstwhile East Pakistan.

The day of sorrow and pride is mainly commemorated by paying tribute to the Language martyrs by placing wreaths at the Shaheed Minar from the first hour of the day.

Thousands of people from all strata began descending on the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka – and millions more throughout the country – since late Friday night.

They joined political leaders, diplomats, and social and cultural activists to pay their respects.

The UNESCO in 1999 had declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day.

A programme will be held at the UN headquarters in New York marking the day.

Meanwhile, Khaleda’s advisor Enam Ahmed Chowdhury led BNP leaders and activists in her absence and placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar on Saturday morning.

Chowdhury said, “Begum Zia could not come to pay respect to the Language Martyrs because of the overall situation and security issues. We’ve placed a wreath on behalf of her and another on behalf of the party.”

A number of senior party leaders said on Friday that the chairperson would not be visiting the Central Shaheed Minar due to the ongoing blockade.

Khaleda called the blockade on Jan 5 demanding snap polls under a nonpartisan caretaker body, after she was obstructed by the police to leave her office amid tension over programmes on Jan 5, the first anniversary of the last general election boycotted by the BNP and its allies.

She has not left the office even after removal of the barricade.

Khaleda Zia had been visiting the Shaheed Minar to pay respects to the language martyrs every year when she was the prime minister or the leader of the opposition in Parliament.

She placed wreath on the base of the Shaheed Minar on Feb 21 last year, too.