Dhaka, Feb 21 (NationPress) On Saturday, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman launched special commemorative postage stamps to honor Language Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day, as reported by local media.

The unveiling took place in the morning at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Tejgaon, attended by various ministers and senior officials.

Prime Minister Rahman paid homage to the language martyrs by laying a wreath at the Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, commemorating those who sacrificed their lives during the Language Movement.

Prior to the Prime Minister's homage, President Mohammed Shahabuddin placed a wreath at the Shaheed Minar and observed a moment of silence to honor the martyrs.

Following this solemn act, cabinet members and other dignitaries laid floral wreaths after the President and the Prime Minister, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.

In a remarkable gesture, Shafiqur Rahman, the leader of the Opposition and head of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, honored the 1952 language martyrs by placing wreaths at the Shaheed Minar.

Conversely, Rumeen Farhana, the newly elected independent MP from Brahmanbaria-2 and former BNP leader, faced obstruction from offering her tribute at the memorial.

According to local sources, Dhaka Tribune reported that BNP leaders and activists prevented her from paying floral tributes, resulting in her departure without honoring the language martyrs.

In response to this incident, her supporters set fire to tree trunks and bamboo to block the Dhaka–Sylhet highway in Shahbazpur under Sarail upazila. This blockade caused a traffic jam stretching nearly 10 kilometers on both sides until police intervened to restore order.

On this day, Bangladesh commemorates Language Martyrs’ Day, recognizing the heroes of the 1952 Language Movement who sacrificed their lives to affirm the significance of Bangla as the mother tongue.

On February 21, 1952, a police crackdown at Dhaka Medical College resulted in the deaths of Salam, Rafique, Shafique, Jabbar, and Barkat while they were advocating for the recognition of Bangla as a state language of then-West Pakistan.

Their deaths sparked a broader movement that ultimately culminated in Bangladesh's independence.

On February 29, 1956, the Pakistani government officially recognized Bangla as a state language alongside Urdu. Nevertheless, the language movement continued to inspire demands for political and cultural rights, leading to the 1971 Liberation War and the establishment of Bangladesh as an independent nation.