Home
+
Published : 21 Feb 2026, 02:39 AM
As midnight strikes on Feb 21, all roads in Bangladesh once again lead to the Shaheed Minar, where grief and pride converge in remembrance of a language won at the cost of blood.
It was on this day in 1952 that the streets of what was then East Pakistan were stained with blood as students defied a ban on public assembly to demand recognition of Bangla as a state language.
That sacrifice not only secured linguistic rights but laid the moral foundations for Bangladesh’s independence from the repressive Pakistanis nearly two decades later.
What began as a Bengali struggle is now a global observance. Crossing borders and nations, Feb 21 is marked worldwide as International Mother Language Day, a reminder of every community’s right to speak, preserve and cherish its own language.
At the first moment of the day, Bangladesh pauses to honour those martyrs.
A Nation in Transition Marks Ekushey
This year’s observance comes at a moment of political transition, with a new government having taken office through elections that have raised hopes of democratic renewal and greater freedom of expression.
At midnight on Saturday, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman laid wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, paying tribute to the language martyrs.
Even before the clock struck 12:00, the roads leading to the memorial were already crowded with political activists, cultural workers, students and families — all moving slowly, barefoot, towards the monument.
After the formal tributes by state leaders, the Shaheed Minar was opened to the public, allowing ordinary citizens to offer flowers and prayers.
The remembrance does not end with the night. As dawn breaks, the traditional "Probhat Pheri", or early morning processions, set out across cities, towns, and villages, their destinations the same: local Shaheed Minars adorned with flowers.
Hundreds of hands carry wreaths and garlands. Voices rise in the haunting song etched into the nation’s memory: “My brothers’ blood-stained Feb 21, can I ever forget?”
The Day All Languages Gained a Voice
On Feb 21, 1952, students and young activists in East Pakistan defied Section 144, which banned public gatherings, to demand recognition of Bangla as a state language. Police opened fire on the demonstrators, killing Abdus Salam, Abdul Jabbar, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Barkat, Shafiur Rahman and many others whose names remain unknown.
The attempt to silence the movement failed. Under pressure, the Pakistani authorities later recognised Bangla as one of the state languages. The Language Movement went on to inspire the Mass Uprising of 1969 and the armed struggle that culminated in Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
The spirit that drove Bengalis to defend their mother tongue with their lives has since become a universal symbol of linguistic rights.
In 1999, UNESCO formally recognised Feb 21 as International Mother Language Day. This year marks 74 years since the Language Movement. Across Dhaka and the rest of the country, preparations are complete for a full day of commemorations.
Messages from President, PM
In a message marking the day, President Shahabuddin described the language movement as “one of the most glorious chapters in the history of Bangladesh’s emergence”.
He recalled that despite the cultural and linguistic differences between the two wings of Pakistan after 1947, the ruling elite attempted to impose Urdu as the sole state language.
“That unjust decision to strip people of their mother tongue ignited mass resistance,” he said. “Students and ordinary people secured their linguistic rights with their own blood. The language movement gave birth to our national consciousness and inspired our struggles for autonomy, democracy and ultimately independence.”
He added that the international recognition of Feb 21 was “one of the nation’s proudest achievements”, noting that the spirit of Ekushey now inspires people around the world to protect their own languages and cultures.
“Language is the primary carrier of a nation’s existence, heritage and culture,” the president said. “We must therefore be more vigilant in preserving the quality and proper use of Bangla, which was achieved through immense sacrifice.”
Prime Minister Tarique, in his message, paid tribute to the language martyrs and said the movement had strengthened the foundations of democracy, equality and cultural identity.
“The blood-soaked path of Ekushey led us to the Liberation War and independence,” he said.
He added that the core spirit of Feb 21 lay in democratic values and equal rights, pledging that his government would work to consolidate democracy and build “a self-reliant, secure and humane democratic state”.
He called on people worldwide to work together to uphold the dignity of all languages and urged the protection of linguistic diversity within Bangladesh.
Nationwide Programmes
Feb 21 is observed as a public holiday. National flags are flown at half-mast at educational institutions and government offices. Special prayers are held at mosques, temples and other places of worship, and the Holy Quran recitations take place at Azimpur graveyard in memory of the martyrs.
State broadcasters and private television stations are airing special programmes dedicated to the day.
The Bangla Academy’s annual Amar Ekushey Book Fair, traditionally held throughout February, will run this year from Feb 25 to Mar 15, delayed due to elections and Ramadan.
As a result, the usual Feb 21 crowds at the fair will be absent this year.
Cultural organisations are hosting recitations, music and discussions across the capital. Chhayanaut will stage a cultural programme on Saturday morning, while the Liberation War Museum will host a multilingual poetry reading featuring participants from different linguistic communities living in Bangladesh.
Events are also being organised by cultural alliances at Suhrawardy Udyan, while mobile music performances, film screenings and exhibitions are being held across districts and Upazilas.
Bangladesh missions abroad are marking the day, and national museums and heritage sites are open free of charge for children, students, senior citizens and visitors with disabilities.
More Events
The mass communication department will organise mobile musical programmes via trucks in Dhaka city and by boats along the adjacent waterways, alongside mobile film screenings at district and Upazila levels.
Bangladesh missions abroad will observe International Mother Language Day.
The Bangladesh Shishu Academy will hold drawing competitions, rhyme and poetry recitations, and cultural programmes for children.
Different organisations and publishing houses, including the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Department of Public Libraries, National Museum, National Book Centre, Kazi Nazrul Institute, Bangladesh Shishu Academy, and Islamic Foundation, will participate in the book fair.
Bangladesh Shishu Academy will also release a special children's edition to mark the occasion.
Free entry will be provided for children, students, the elderly, and people with special needs at the National Museum and its branch museums, the Shilpacharya Zainul Folk Arts and Crafts Museum, the Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation, and all archaeological sites and museums under the Department of Archaeology.
The National Museum and the Liberation War Museum will organise documentary screenings, exhibitions of Language Movement artifacts, and displays and drawing of graffiti from the 2024 mass Uprising.
The programmes will also include seminars and Bengali handwriting competitions for children.
The Department of Public Libraries will organise essay and drawing competitions, as well as discussion meetings on the Language Movement, at government public libraries at the divisional, district, and Upazila levels.
