A programme to pay tributes to the martyrs of the Language Revolution Day (Bhasha Andolan Dibas), held at the cradle of the movement on Friday, was attended by Jesuit priests and former students of St Xavier’s College, Kolkata.
The programme at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, the national monument of Bangladesh built to the martyrs of the revolution of 1952, was organised by Dhaka University.
On February 21, 1952, students were killed in Dhaka (then part of East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh) in police action launched to suppress the movement that demanded recognition of the Bengali language. The day is now celebrated as International Mother Language Day.
Friday’s programme marked the beginning of a symbolic torch rally, Sanjog 2023, that would culminate at St Xavier’s College on Park Street on February 21.
Md. Akhtaruzzaman, the vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, was the chief guest of the programme, which was opened by Father Dominic Savio, principal of St Xavier’s College.