President Hamid, PM Hasina pay respect to language martyrs

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid respect to language martyrs by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar beside Dhaka Medical College and Hospital at one minute past zero hour on Tuesday.

Both the president and the premier issueed separate messages paying rich tributes to those who embraced martyrdom on the day.

In observance of the day, the Central Shaheed Minar premises was decorated with paintings, graffiti, buntings and selected verses on the mother language.

Tight security measures have been enforced around the main altar of the Shaheed Minar, its adjoining areas and Azimpur graveyard of the language martyrs.

The nation is observing the Shaheed Dibash (Martyrs Day) and International Mother Language Day on Tuesday with due respect. The day is a public holiday.

People from all walks of life started paying glowing tributes to the memories of the language movement martyrs, the valiant sons of the soil who made supreme sacrifice to establish the rights of the mother tongue, Bangla, in 1952.

The day will be observed around the world as the UNESCO recognised the ‘February 21 (Ekushey February)’ as International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999.