Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed: Many other language activists including Salam, Rafiq, Jabbar and Barkat gave their lives in the movement to establish Bengali as the state language in 1952. Later, Ekushey February also got the unique status of `International Mother Language Day`. According to a UN resolution, the day has been observed as "International Mother Language Day" in all countries of the world since 2000. The people of the world remember the struggle and contribution of the language martyrs of Bangladesh. The reason for this is that even though there are about six thousand languages ​​in different countries and regions of the world, the struggle of the students and people of Bangladesh for the recognition and establishment of the status of mother tongue is no longer seen. That is why the people of all the countries of the world are now agitated and enlivened by the spirit of Ekushey and its significance. They also feel the urge and responsibility to establish and protect the dignity of their mother tongue. This is where the language movement of 1952 and the special significance and unparalleled success of Ekushey February came from.

Bangabandhu`s Contribution to the Mother Tongue Movement: - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Architect of Independent Bangladesh and Father of the Nation, gave successful leadership by giving up the illusion of life at every stage of the independence movement. Everyone needs to know the role and contribution he made in the movement for cultural inequality and protection of Bengali mother tongue. He spent most of his life in prison. Even though he was imprisoned during the Bayanna language movement, he played an unforgettable role in the mother tongue movement. The main aim of the state of Pakistan was to inflict socio-economic and political inequality on the Bengalis as well as to inflict the first blow on the language and culture, which the Bengalis of East Bengal, then East Pakistan, began to realize from the very beginning. This state was founded on an orthodox religious basis. Its Punjabi ruling class conspired to establish their own language, Urdu, as the state language, and even included Urdu in all school textbooks.

Immediately after the creation of Pakistan, the Democratic Juba League was formed at a conference held in Dhaka. At the conference, some language proposals were adopted in the form of decisions, which were read by the then youth leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In the resolution, he mentioned, "Let Bengali be the language of East Pakistan and the language of the courts of law." The people should be given the responsibility to discuss and decide on the state language of the whole of Pakistan and the decision of the people should be taken as final. ` This is described in the book `Role of Bangabandhu in Language Movement` written by Gaziul Haque.

An important meeting was held at the Sirajuddaula Hotel in Calcutta in early 1947. At the meeting, some leaders, including youth leader Sheikh Mujib, decided on a non-communal future course of action. In December 1947, 14 linguists, including Sheikh Mujib, took part in the preparation of a 21-point manifesto with various demands, including the Bangla language movement, which was published in the form of a book and was named `Rashtrabhasha 21-Point Manifesto ঐ Historical Document`. Sheikh Mujib Tamaddun joined the state language movement of the Majlis and received the public signature in favor of it. Published in the text of Mazharul Islam.

Mogaltuli`s house number 150 has played a historic role in the language movement as part of the then progressive student-youth movement. From here, propaganda against various state inequalities, including the mother tongue, was carried out. Sheikh Mujib, Kamaruddin, Zahiruddin, Naimuddin, Shawkat Ali and others were its organizers. Among the 10-point demands of the East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League, established on 4 January 1948, was the strong demand for the recognition of Bengali as one of the state languages ​​of Pakistan, one of the benefactors of which was Sheikh Mujib.

Students of DhakaUniversity, then College of Engineering (which was later established as BUET) and DhakaMedicalCollege boycotted classes and joined the group. Professor Mazharul Islam credited the then youth leader Sheikh Mujib for the management and success of this successful gathering held for the Bengali language. Progressive students and youth leaders, including Sheikh Mujib, emphasized the importance of establishing the Bengali language and preparing for the all-out struggle. The Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad was formed anew at the joint meeting of Muslim Chhatra League and Tamaddun Majlis held at Fazlul Haque Muslim Chhatra Hall on 2 March 1948. Apart from Sheikh Mujib, the meeting was also attended by Shamsul Haque, Abul Kashem, Ranesh Das Gupta, Ajit Guha, Oli Ahad, Mohammad Toaha.

A statement issued in various newspapers on March 1, 1948 called for the success of the March 11 strike at any cost. The statement was signed by East Pakistan Muslim League Council member Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Tamaddun Majlis general secretary Abul Qasim, Muslim Chhatra League convener Naimuddin Ahmed and Abdur Rahman Chowdhury. An all-out strike was observed on March 11. For the first time since the creation of Pakistan, the strike has shaken the thinking of the Pakistani ruling class. During the strike, Sheikh Mujib was injured and arrested in a police raid. Oli Ahad, one of the warriors of the language movement, praised Sheikh Mujib`s courageous role in the incident mentioned in his book. Sheikh Mujib was probably the first political prisoner to be arrested for his mother tongue movement against the government of Pakistan. After his release, Sheikh Mujib forced Suhrawardy to change his mind and issue a new statement in favor of Bengali language, which was possible only for Sheikh Mujib, said Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani. The statement was published in the daily Ittefaq on 29 February. This statement inspires the language activists anew. Sheikh Mujib played a leading role in the celebration of the first anniversary of Ekushey in 1953. At a public meeting held at Armanitola, he demanded that 21 February be declared as Martyrs` Day and that Bengali be declared the state language.

He also demanded that Bengali be made the state language in the session of the Legislative Assembly on 16 February. After the independence of the country in 1974, as the President of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu addressed the United Nations in Bengali and established the Bengali language and the Bengali nation in a position of dignity in the court of the world. This statement of Bangabandhu proves how much he cared for Bangladesh and Bengali language. Before going to the gallows, I will say, Bengali is my country. Bengali My mother tongue is Bengali. Joy Bangla. `Finally, the nation will forever remember Bangabandhu`s contribution in realizing the rights of Bangladesh and Bengali language. The Bengali language has gained international recognition as a mother tongue which is a source of joy and pride for us as a nation.

Author: Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed is the editor and publisher of Daily Health Information. He can be reached at drmazed96@gmail.com