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Vow to uphold democracy with spirit of Ekushey

By Staff Correspondent
The .nation paid glpwing tributes to the martyrs 6f LAn-. guage. Mu^ment on the occasion of Artigr Ekushey Friday with a fresh vow to materialise the dreams of those brave sons of the soil who had sacrificed their lives for making Bangla a state language of the then Pakistan.
The Language Movement ultimately turned into a movement for self-determination leading to the emergence of independent Bangladesh through the Liberation War. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life thronged the Central Shaheed Minar in the city starting from zero hour Thursday night and placed wreaths. Streams of people continued till Friday afternoon.
With the spirit of Language Movement and a fresh pledge to uphold democracy, people also placed bouquets, flowers, and wreaths at the shaheed mi-nars elsewhere ir: tLc country to pay homage to the martyrs.
On this day in 1952, Rafiq, Salam. Jabbar and Barkat and many others embraced martyrdom when police opened fire on a procession demanding Bangla as an state language. The procession was heading towards the erstwhile provincial assembly housed in Jagannath hall, defying Section 144
I The day was a public holi-
day. The National Flag was hoisted gt, halfmast atop all government offices and public places. ! '
In the capital, the day's programmes began with President Shahabuddin Ahmed placing wreath at the Shaheed Minar at one minute past zero hour to the strains of the immortal song "amar bhaier rakte ranaano ekushey febryary amiki bhulite pari."
After the President. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed
wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar. A barefooted Sheikh ^fiasina. wearing black budge and black scarf, stoodin solemn silence for one minute to show respect to the memory of the martyrs.
While leaving the Shaheed Minar. the President, the Prime Minister and the council of ministers sang "amar bhaier rakte rangano ekushey february amiki bhulite pari" in chorus standing at the premises of the Shaheed Minar.
After the Prime Minister, the Speaker. Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad. ministers. Mayor, of the Dhaka City Corporation and the Dhaka University Central Student Union (DUCSU) placed wreaths one by one.
Just after the President and the Prime Minister left the Shaheed Minar. hundreds of waiting people rushed to the Shaheed Minar to place wreaths. Contingents of police. BDR and BNCC cadets struggled to maintain law and order.
Some youngmen entered the Shaheed Minar premises chanting slogans in the name of Ershad. chairman of Jatiya Party just after the President and the PM left the place.
Thousands of people also visited the Azimpur graveyard and offered Jateha and placed
wreaths at the graves of the martyrs of the Language Movement.
Leader of the Opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. accompanied by senior party colleagues, placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at 10:45 am on the day.
When the Leader of the Opposition placed wreaths, some of her party workers though chanted slogans it was strictly prohibited in the Shaheed Minar area.
BNP leaders who accompanied Begum Khaleda included AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury. Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan. Salam Talukdar. Tariqul Islam. Abdul Matin Chowdhury'. Dr Khond-kar Mosarraf Hossain. Moudud Ahmed and Deiwar Hossain.
Awanu League leaders led by party general secretary Zillur Rahman placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar at about 9 am. AL central leaders Amir Hossain Amu. Abdul Jalil and Mo-fazzal Haider Chowdhury Maya were among others who accompanied Zillur Rahman.
Jatiya Party of H M Ershad did not place wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar. Wreaths were placed on behalf of the front organisations of the party.
A number of diplomats representing different missions also placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar to pay homage to I he martyrs of the Language Movement. Diplomats of the missions of the United States. Britain. India. Japan, Turkey. Bhutan, the Vatican. and representatives of different UN organisations, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Farooq Sobhan. stood there for one minute in solemn silence.
Leaders of different political parties including Gano Forum,
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (JSDj. CPB. Workers Party, and Left Democratic Front placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Various student organisations including Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCl5). Bangladesh Chhatra Union. Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and Bangladesh Chhatra 1-eague also placed wreaths.
Wreaths were also placed by Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad. Bangabandhu Parishad. the Institution of Engineers. Russel Jatiya Shishu Kishore Sangsad. Bangabandhu Engineering Parishad. Kendriya Khelaghar Ashar. Biggan Che-tana Parishad, Bangabandhu Jubo Parishad and Bangabandhu Kishore Parishad.
Bangla Academy. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Bangladesh Television. Bangladesh Police also placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association. Bangladesh Sagbadik Oikya Andolon. Bangladesh Sports Journalists' Association, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pan-Pacific Sonargoan Hotel Officers. Employees and Workers Union also placed wreaths
Cultural organisation including. Chhayanat. Nazrul Institute. Padatik Nattaya Sangsad and Annanya San-skritik Sangsad of Calcutta also plaged wreaths at the Shaheed Minar.
Bangla Academy organised a discussion meeting on "Language Movement Centred Literature in Last Twenty Five Years of Bangladesh" at its premises. Gaziul Haq. who had paid a leading role in the Language Movement presided over the discussion. Prof Rajib iiu mayun and Prof Khaleda Sha-lauddin took part in the discus sion.
Prof Syed Monzurul Islam
delivered the key-note speech on the subject. Speakers at the seminar urged the writers to uphold the spirit of the Language Movement in their works.
Prof Islam, who got the Bangla Academy Literature Award this year, said that the Language Movement had a great impact on the post-liberation Bangla literature.
Meanwhile, the Bangla Academy is already holding a month-long hook fair on the occasion of the Amar Ekushey. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the book fair on February 18.
Various other socio-cultural organisations also organised cultural shows, poetry recitation sessions and street dramas at the Shahabag Crossing. TSC Doel Chattar. Ramna Botamul and in other places in and around the Dhaka University.