February 21: International Mother Language Day – Honoring the Language Martyrs
February 21: Honoring the Legacy of Language and Sacrifice Language is more than a medium of communication; it carries history, culture, and identity. For Bangladesh, February 21 is a day of remembrance and pride — a tribute to those who sacrificed their lives to protect the right to speak their mother tongue. Historical Background of the Language Movement After the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, Pakistan emerged as a state with two geographically separated regions — West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Although the majority of the population in East Pakistan spoke Bangla, the government declared Urdu as the sole state language. This sparked widespread protests. Students and citizens demanded recognition of Bangla as a state language. On February 21, 1952, demonstrators in Dhaka defied prohibitions, and law enforcement opened fire. Several young activists, including Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, and Jabbar, lost their lives. Their sacrifice transformed a pol...
