(The Immortal Martyrs Day)
HRCBM
COMMEMORATES
Martyrs Day: International Mother Language Day
HRCBM Press Release 21
February 2004
Let the
Conscience of the Martyrs Day be the Foundation of Our National Policy
and Action
“What
started fifty-two years ago this day as the Language Movement of the
Bengalis belongs to the community of world today, the community that
respects secularism, freedom and justice for all. Mother tongue (mother
language) is an essential part of humanity's cultural heritage- the
irreducible expression of human creativity and of its great diversity.
Like mother’s milk, it flows from the mother to the child
spontaneously. It knows no caste, creed or religious affiliation. Mother
tongue is the very foundation of secularism. And that’s how the
Bengali language movement started with the secular foundation; and
rightfully so, secularism was honored as one the four pillars of our
constitution in 1972 by the founding fathers. …
… Once condemned by the people for their barbaric crimes, the
armed cadres of the fundamentalist Jamaat-E-Islami Party- Razakars,
Albadars and Alshams- have, in the shadow of the present government,
taken the law in their own hands. They are spreading communal hatred,
perpetrating heinous crimes against religious and ethnic minorities
threatening and attacking the secular forces and the voice of the
conscience, and destroying the spirit of The Martyrs Day. …
… Let the
spirit of The Martyrs Day, our national conscience, that led us through
the momentous events of 1952, ‘62, ‘66, ‘69, ’70, ’71 and
beyond, unite us in our struggle for freedom and justice.
…. … Let us
resolve to uphold the spirit of The Martyrs Day and continue our fight
for restoring secularism in Bangladesh. Let freedom, equality and
justice for all her citizens ring forever unhindered.”
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities
(HRCBM) commemorates the 52nd Anniversary of Shaheed Dibas
(Martyrs Day), which is also popularly known as the Ekushey
in Bangladesh and to the Bengali speaking people all over the world.
Since 1999, this Bengali Language Martyrs Day is universally honored as
the “International Mother Language Day”. On this day, 52 years ago
in 1952, the youth of Dhaka protested the denial of Bengali, the
language of the majority in the then Pakistan, as the national language
and the imposition of Urdu as the sole official language of the country.
The protests that sparked off on that day ultimately led to the War of
Liberation that culminated in the birth of Bangladesh, a secular and
democratic people’s republic, in 1971. HRCBM pays homage to the
martyrs of the 21st February 1952 and all the brave souls who
made the ultimate sacrifice for the liberation of Bangladesh and for
safeguarding the conscience of The Martyrs Day.
Let us pause for a moment from our daily routine
and reflect upon the spirit of The
Martyrs Day that guided us through numerous struggles and pay homage
to the valiant martyrs of language movement who braved the streets of
Dhaka and made the ultimate sacrifice on this day of the 21st
February 1952. Let us commemorate innumerable martyrs who carried the
torch, sacrificed their lives for a free, peaceful, and prosperous
Bangladesh, “Sonar Bangla”, where all her citizen will be treated
equally with dignity, where the pillars of the constitution, Bengali
Nationalism, Secularism, Democracy, and socialism will be upheld.
Let the Conscience of The Martyrs Day be the
Foundation of Our National Policy and Action
What started fifty-two years ago this day as the
Language Movement of the Bengalis is now celebrated by all member
countries of UNESCO as International Mother Language Day. It is no
longer limited to the Bengalis alone; it belongs to the community of
world today, the community that respects secularism, freedom and justice
for all. Mother tongue (language) is not only an essential part of
humanity's cultural heritage, but the irreducible expression of human
creativity and of its great diversity. Like mother’s milk, it flows
from the mother to the child spontaneously. It knows no caste, creed or
religious affiliation. Mother tongue is the very foundation of
secularism. And that’s how the Bengali language movement started with
the secular foundation; and rightfully so, secularism was honored as one
the four pillars of our constitution in 1972 by the founding fathers.
As the nation celebrates the 52nd
anniversary of The Martyrs Day,
the fountain of our Bengali conscience, we the Bengalis all over the
world need to reflect upon the spirit of The
Martyrs Day, which was clearly the spark of what we are today and
what we strive to be tomorrow. Today, as we look back we have many
accomplishments and failures as a nation, and many challenges ahead of
us. We live in a global, connected world and no matter wherever we are,
we have a role to play. We need to vow at this crucial moment of our
national history to do our part to the fulfill the dreams of the
martyrs, restore secularism-a corner stone of the conscience of the The
Martyrs Day, safeguard human rights and bestow justice and dignity to
all citizens of our motherland.
Although 32 years have passed since our
independence we have a long way to go for our national and social
emancipation. Bangladesh, a nation free from social injustice and
discrimination of all kinds, is yet to be achieved. Secularism, one of
the four pillars of the constitution of Bangladesh, has been abandoned.
Today, the defeated forces of 1971 are more organized than ever, and up
in arms. Ironically, the worst enemies of the conscience of The Martyrs
Day and of the War of Liberation came to power through intimidation
prior to and during the 2001 Election. As a consequence, the nation saw
the worst violation of human rights in the history Bangladesh. The
pogrom of religious and ethnic minorities, that was unleashed
immediately after the October 2001 Election is still raging all over the
country and destroying the very fabric of our nation. Once condemned by
the people for their barbaric crimes, the armed cadres of the
fundamentalist Jamaat-E-Islami Party- Razakars, Albadars and Alshams-
have, in the shadow of the present government, taken the law in their
own hands. They are spreading communal hatred, perpetrating heinous
crimes against religious and ethnic minorities. The ghost of communalism
is rampant and still exerting its malignant influence on the people of
Bangladesh, inflicting inhuman atrocities on the innocent people
(particularly the minorities), threatening the secular forces, the
progressive thinkers, intellectuals, poets, artists, writers,
journalists, historians and those who uphold freedom and the conscience
of The Martyrs Day.
Let the spirit of The
Martyrs Day, our national conscience, that led us through the
momentous events of 1952, ‘62, ‘66, ‘69, ’70, ’71 and beyond,
unite us in our struggle for freedom and justice. Let the spirit of The
Martyrs Day unite us in our fight and defeat all communal forces once
for all. Let us resolve in the words of our national poet Shamsur Rahman
that we will stand upright (Rhriju danrhiye thankte chai) and uphold the
principles of Bengali conscience. Let us resolve to uphold the spirit of
The Martyrs Day and continue
our fight for a secular Bangladesh where freedom, equality and justice
will ring forever unhindered.
Ajit K. Roy, Ph.D.
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities of Dallas Fort-Worth (HRCBM-DFW)
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