Staff Correspondent

The nation is set to observe Amar Ekushey on Friday, paying rich tributes to the language movement martyrs of 1952 who made the supreme sacrifices to establish Bangla as a state language.

The day’s programme will begin one minute past Thursday midnight with the placing of floral wreaths in solemn silence for a while at Shaheed Minars across the country amid tight security.

On Wednesday, Dhaka University fine arts faculty students were seen drawing floral designs on the Central Shaheed Minar compound as president Mohammed Shahabuddin and chief adviser Professor Muhamamd Yunus, other state dignitaries and foreign diplomats are scheduled to pay tributes to the language movement heroes midnight past Thursday.

The Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka has been decorated with Bangla letters against the background of a rising sun for the observance of Shaheed Dibas, which has also been observed simultaneously as International Mother Language Day since 2000 following a UNESCO decision.

On February 21, 1952, corresponding to Phalgun 8, 1359 on the Bangla calendar, the then Pakistani rulers banned protests against the announcement of Urdu as the only state language, even though a majority of the combined population spoke Bangla.

Salam, Jabbar, Rafiq and Barkat were killed in police firing on a students’ procession, brought out defying the ban demanding Bangla as a state language.

The events of the language movement led to other landmark movements, including the historic Six-Point Movement of 1966, and the Mass Uprising of 1969, which culminated in the War of Independence in 1971.

Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday unveiled a commemorative postage stamp, an inaugural envelope and a seal on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day.

According to the route map shared by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, people can enter through the road in front of the Palashi crossing, Nilkhet crossing and Jagannath Hall crossing and can exit through Ramna crossing and Doyel Chattwar.

DMP said that there would be diversions at Shahbagh crossing, Nilkhet crossing, Shahidullah Hall crossing, Chankarpool crossing, Palashi crossing and Bakshibazar crossing.

Like every year, the ‘Central Coordination Committee for Observing Amar Ekushey’ published the route map for people coming to the Central Shaheed Minar and Azimpur Graveyard on February 21 to pay tribute to the martyrs of the language movement.

The movement will be controlled from 5:00pm on Thursday on Dhaka University campus and high restrictions will be imposed after 8:00pm on the day, said a DU press release.

The release also asked residents living in the campus area to return to home by 8:00pm on Thursday.

One can use the route in case of emergency with a security pass and identity card, it added.

This year, the president will arrive first to pay tribute to the Central Shaheed Minar, followed by the chief adviser and the area will be restricted from 9:00pm on Wednesday to 12:30am on Thursday, New Age DU correspondent reported, quoting DU proctor Saifuddin Ahmed.

‘The security measures on the campus will remain the same as the previous year. A total of 1,000 members of the Dhaka University BNCC group will be deployed for security. Additionally, law enforcement agencies, including the Special Security Force and police, will also be on duty,’ said Saifuddin.

Different political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, socio-cultural and professional organisations and educational institutions have taken elaborate programmes to mark the day.

The Dhaka South City Corporation decided to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply, and take other measures to facilitate people paying tribute to language heroes, said DSCC public relations officer Rasel Rahman on Wednesday.