Language Martyrs' Day
Following on from my post re Bernard Henri Levy on Bangladesh, I wanted to commemorate Language Martyrs' Day. This is from everything2.com:
File under: heroes of freedom
February 21 is Language Martyrs' Day in Bangladesh, and International Mother Language Day by proclamation of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).
Language Martyrs' Day (also known as Shahid Dibas or Ekushey) commemorates the demonstrators who died in the effort to have the Bengali language recognized (alongside Urdu) as an official language of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). On February 21, 1952, a large group of protesters gathered in Dhaka to urge the Pakistani government to recognize their language. The organizers of the prostest were students at the University of Dhaka, but the protesters were from all walks of life. The protesters were fired on by the police, and many were killed. However, the proponents of Bengali language rights ultimately prevailed.
File under: heroes of freedom
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