President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed stand in solemn silence after placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar, leading the nation to pay tributes to the Language Movement martyrs in the small hours today. Photo: STAR

Flowers as a symbol of love from deep in the heart, solemn honour for supreme sacrifice and humming "Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February" is the expression of homage to the Language Movement martyrs today.
As the clock struck one minute past zero hours, President Iajuddin Ahmed placed a floral wreath at the altar of the Central Shaheed Minar as tribute to the gallant Bangalees who laid down their lives 56 years ago to uphold the honour of Bangla language.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed then paid his homage to the Language Movement martyrs.
Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Shafiur, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil sacrificed their lives on this day to establish Bangla as one of the state languages of the then Pakistan. The day has since been observed as the Language Martyrs Day, which the Unesco later declared as the International Mother Language Day. Placing their wreaths, the president and the chief adviser stood together in solemn silence for some time to the tune of "Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February".
The advisory council and special assistants to the chief adviser led by Fakhruddin Ahmed then laid a wreath.
They were followed by Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, Deputy Speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui, Dhaka city Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, foreign diplomats, Sector Commanders Forum, Dhaka University led by Vice-Chancellor SMA Faiz, and DU Teachers' Association led by its President Prof Sadrul Amin and General Secretary Prof Anwar Hossain.
Different political parties and their front organisations also paid their homage to the Language Movement martyrs.
The Awami League (AL) led by Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Asaduzzaman Noor laid a floral wreath at the altar of the Shaheed Minar followed by Bangladesh Chhatra League and DU Journalists' Association.
The BNP led by chairperson-appointed Secretary General Delwar Hossain and chairperson's Adviser Hannan Shah paid their homage to the martyrs.
They were followed by Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Bangladesh National Cadet Corps and different socio-cultural organisations.
Thousands of people from all walks of life also paid their homage to the Language Movement martyrs. People also thronged memorials across Bangladesh and other countries to pay their tributes. Paying homage will continue throughout the day.
Number of women and children significantly increased this year due to strict security measures around the Shaheed Minar.
On this day in 1952, students and people from all walks of life took to the streets in Dhaka to protest the then Pakistan government's refusal to recognise Bangla as one of the state languages and imposing of Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan.
The Pakistan government was ultimately compelled to include an article in the country's constitution on February 29, 1956 that declared, "The state language of Pakistan shall be Urdu and Bengali."
The Language Movement is indeed the most important turning point in the history of Bangalees as its spirit led to the independence of Bangladesh.
On November 17, 1999, the Unesco declared February 21 as the International Mother Language Day. Countries across the globe have since been observing the day to promote linguistic diversity and multilingual education and raise awareness of cultural traditions based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.
In his message, President Iajuddin Ahmed said the spirit of Ekushey would consolidate the nation's democratic advancement along with overall economic development and progress. The glaring spirit of the Language Movement inspires people to stand against all injustices and unfairness and helps attain the overall progress of the country, he added.
"The fortitude of the Language Movement is now inspiring not only the advancement of our own language, literature, culture and heritage but also for the preservation and promotion of languages and cultures of other nations around the world," the president said.
In his message, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed asked all citizens of Bangladesh irrespective of religion, class or political affiliation to forge a national unity to unleash the infinite potential of the land, improve the lot of the people and establish a democratic state.
Calling upon all to make the independence of the country meaningful by drawing on the spirit of Ekushey, he said, "We shall have to work hard for the flourishing of our language, literature, culture and education."
The Central Shaheed Minar and its adjacent areas have had a facelift on the occasion, and roads and medians have been festooned with Bangla alphabets and national flags.
Strict security measures have been taken at and around the Shaheed Minar to ensure smooth observance of the day. Members of law enforcement agencies were deployed and closed-circuit television cameras and archways were set up. Besides, bomb squads and dog squads are also patrolling the Shaheed Minar area.
The day is a public holiday. The national flag will be hoisted at half-mast atop all government, autonomous and private buildings.
The government and different socio-political and cultural organisations have taken up separate programmes to observe the Language Martyrs' Day.