Sagar Chowdhury, Chandpur

Some 27 language soldiers of Chandpur has not got state recognisation even for 73 years. No one has traced the 27 veterns language movement or their families even in the last 73 years. Although their family and people from all walks of life of Chandpur made demands again and again.

73 years of the great Language Movement have passed. The independence of Bangladesh came through th Language Movement and the golden jubilee of the great independence was celebrated nationally.

However, even after a few centuries, the language veterans did not get state recognition. They did not receive any recognition or honour from the state. Similarly, 27 language sols of Chandpur are still out of state recognition. Language soldier BM Kalim Ullah died last year.

According to the information obtained from various sources, the names of 27 language fighters of Chandpur have been found. These are former Prime Minister Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, the first elected General Secretary of the then East-Pakistan Chhatra League, Social Welfare Minister Dr. Dipu Moni's father MA Wadud, former president of Jubo League Chandpur subdivision, the organizer of the liberation war, advocate AFM Fazlul Haque, Dr. Mojibur Rahman Chowdhury, former president of sub-district Awami League Abul Kashem Chowdhury Tunu, former Central Chhatra League leader and former MP Abdur Rab, former MP Advocate Abdul Awal, veteran Awami League leader, organizer of the liberation war, former member of parliament, lawyer Sirajul Islam, former Constituent Assembly member and former Chandpur Municipality. Chairman Abdul Karim Patwari, Rafiq Uddin Akhand aka Sona Akhand, BM Kalim Ullah, Molla Chiddikur Rahman, the organizer of the liberation war Advocate Abu Zafar. Mainuddin, Advocate Abul Fazal, Dr. Shamchul Haque, Qamar Uddin Chowdhury, Sujat Ali Munshi, the then young organizer Shah Aman Ullah Manik, former MP Nazwan Wali Ullah, veteran politician lawyer Sheikh Matiur Rahman, Dr. MA Ghafoor, former MP Flight Lieutenant (retd) AB Siddique, former vice-president of district Awami League, Sheikh Muzaffar Ali, organizer of liberation war, former municipal chairman Nurul Haque Bachchu Miyaji, then Chandpur division Chhatra League leader Abul Kalam Azad, Dr. . Abdus Chatter, prominent women's organizer former MP Amena Begum. In addition, many others who are not known took part in the language movement.

It is known that in 1952, a movement was formed to protect the mother tongue in every district and subdivision of East Pakistan including Dhaka. Chandpur was not left out. In 1952, a meeting was held secretly at Ahmadiyya Muslim Hostel (now Chandpur Government Women's College Hostel) in Chandpur city. From that meeting, the 'State Language Implementation Struggle Parishad Chandpur Division Unit' was formed.

The then student leader of Dhaka Jagannath College, Abdur Rob, was nominated as the president of the unit by the consent of all present. Molla Chiddikur Rahman of Radirchar village under Sadar Upazila, then student leader of the Communist Party, was nominated as the general secretary. As representatives of this unit, they played a significant role in various police stations of Chandpur.

They came from the then 6 police stations of Chandpur and spontaneously joined the movement and made the movement more dynamic and accelerated. The movement roared even in the face of the extreme opposition of the then Muslim League leaders and the then Pak-Police were looking for the leaders and activists to arrest them and put them in jail. Also, many of them were also involved in the central level movement in Dhaka at that time.

Language struggler. District Awami League general secretary Abu Nayem Patwary Dulal, son of Karim Patwari, said, "Those who have agitated for language, including my father, have done language agitation to establish the Bengali language." He did not agitate for state recognition. Now the issue of state recognition is a matter of the state alone.

Nurjahan Begum Kumkum, daughter of language activist Sheikh Muzaffar Ali, said that even after all these years, these language warriors of Chandpur are not getting state recognition. My father was also hoping for state recognition of his bedridden status before his death. But he didn't get it. My father agitated for the language, worked, but they did not go door to door for this recognition. It is a big thing that he worked for his mother tongue. But we want the government to list them. Hopefully, one day these great people will get national recognition. We want national recognition from the current government.

Son of language struggler AFM Fazlul Haque. Khairul Ahsan Sufian said, "All recognition is capital-based." There is no news of those who are alive or dead in Mufassal. Although there is a directive from the High Court to list the number of language fighters across the country, it has not been implemented. But the Liberation War movement started through the language movement. Language fighters should be evaluated like freedom fighters.

The demands of the people of Chandpur from all walks of life, the language movement of the 20th year, the great War of Liberation and the independence of Bangladesh and the emergence of an independent sovereign Bangladesh took place.

In order to show due respect to this achievement of history, it is absolutely necessary to give government facilities to the fearless language soldiers of the country as well as freedom fighters. Otherwise, future generations will be completely in the dark about the contemporary history of the country.