The Embassy of Bangladesh in Japanese capital Tokyo observed the Shaheed Dibash and International Mother Language Day on Tuesday with due respect, solemnity and enthusiasm. The day began with offering of wreaths at the altar of a makeshift Shaheed Minar located on the Embassy premises at dawn. Expatriate Bangladeshis and invited Japanese friends of Bangladesh along with Embassy officials attended the programme. Ambassador Shahabuddin Ahmed hoisted the national flag at half-mast along with rendition of national anthem at the Embassy premises. One minute of silence was observed in memory of the Language Martyrs, who sacrificed their lives to establish the right of mother tongue, Bangla, in 1952. Later, the programme resumed indoors with offering special prayers (munajat) for the salvation of the souls of the Language Martyrs and Martyrs of Liberation War. Prayers were also offered for the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his family members, for the wellbeing of the expatriate Bangladeshi community and for peace and prosperity of the country. The messages by the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Director-General of UNESCO issued on the occasion of “Shaheed Dibash" and the “International Mother Language Day” were read out by Embassy officials. Read more: Ekushey observed in Canberra with wider participation of Bangladesh community, foreigners Ambassador Shahabuddin paid solemn tribute to the Language Martyrs Salam, Barkat, Rafique, Jabbar and many more unknown heroes for their supreme sacrifices for which they attained the right to use mother tongue. He paid profound respect and gratitude to Bangabandhu, who emerged as a leader through 1952 to 1971 and gave an independent country where they can speak freely in Bangla. The Ambassador also remembered all his family members with deep respect, including Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib, who embraced martyrdom on the fateful night of 15 August 1975. He also paid his profound respect to four national leaders, 30 lakh freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives and two lakh women who were raped during the liberation war of Bangladesh. The Ambassador said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman played a vital role in shaping the “language movement’’ of 1952 as a young leader. In his efforts to uphold the mother tongue Bangla, in his first appearance at the General Assembly of the United Nations, Bangabandhu delivered his speech in Bangla in 1974. A discussion session was then held with the participation of a significant number of Bangladesh community members and Japanese friends. Ambassador Masato Watanabe, President, Japan-Bangladesh Society (JBS) shared his experience in Bangladesh and expressed his commitment to strengthen the relationship between Bangladesh and Japan through cultural exchange. Professor Masaaki Ohashi, Osamu Hayakawa and other members of JBS were present. A documentary titled “Bangabandhu and the Language Movement” and another titled “My Mother Tongue” outlining the history and significance of the day and cultural aspect of Bangladesh were screened.

Ekushey has been observed in Canberra with the wider participation of the Bangladesh community and foreigners. Around 100 participants including ACT Ministers, Ambassadors, representatives from government offices,  multilingual community groups and Bangladeshi diaspora assembled at dawn and spontaneously joined the Probhat Fery with flowers, festoons and banners singing the song of Ekushey “Amar bhaier rokte rangano ekushe February, ami ki bhulite pari”.   Australian dignitaries, including the Australian Capital Territory Minister for Health and Minister for Families and Community Rachel Stephen-Smith, Minister for Environment and Minister for Heritage Rebecca Vasarotti, Shadow Minister for multicultural Affairs Peter Cain, Indian High Commissioner, representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and from the Department of Home Affairs and above all Bangladesh community members passionately attended the Probhat Fery at the cusp of dawn, said a press release. Probhat Fery was organised for the fifth consecutive year around Manuka Oval that ended at a makeshift Shaheed Minar at Telopea Park. After the walk, the ministers and other dignitaries paid their homage to the language heroes by placing floral wreaths at the altar of the Saheed Minar. The High Commissioner recalled the extraordinary leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman throughout the language movement to the struggle for freedom and the War of Liberation. He stated that each of the more than 7,000 languages spoken by humanity is a living repository of knowledge that carries within it a unique expression of thinking and feeling. Read more: Great Language Martyrs’ Day, International Mother Language Day observed in Seoul He emphasised on revitalising dying languages and raising awareness of protecting languages. The dignitaries underscored the significance of Ekushey in securing respect for mother tongue and for linguistic diversity and multiculturalism. The speakers praised Bangladesh in the global campaign for securing honour for all languages and promoting multiculturalism. Later, the High Commissioner hoisted the national flag at half-mast at the Chancery premises. The messages of the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and State Minister for Foreign Affairs were read out. A Special munajat was also offered for the salvation of the departed souls of the language martyrs and for a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous Bangladesh. The evening programme for the Bangladesh community commenced with a discussion session on the significance of Ekushey and International Mother Language Day. The discussion session was followed by a colourful cultural program with songs, dance and recitation of poems that enthralled the audience. Like previous years, the temporarily installed “Shaheed Minar” at the Telopea Park will remain in place till 24 February 2023 for public viewing and reflection. The programme generated interest among locals and the High Commissioner was live on ABC Radio Canberra speaking on the significance of Ekushey and the unique way of celebration by the High Commission.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today conferred ‘Ekushey Padak 2023’ to 19 eminent personalities and two organizations in recognition of their contributions to various fields. She handed over the Ekushey Padak, the country’s second highest civilian award, at a ceremony at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka. The Cultural Affairs Ministry organised the event on the occasion of ‘Amar Ekushey’ and International Mother Language Day. Among the award recipients, Khaleda Manzoor-e Khuda, freedom fighter AKM Shamsul Haque (posthumous), and Haji Mohammad Majibor Rahman received the award for their roles in the Language Movement. Read more: 19 eminent personalities, 2 institutions named for Ekushey Padak Masud Ali Khan and Shimul Yusuf received the prestigious award for their contributions in acting, while Manoranjan Ghoshal, Gazi Abdul Hakim and Fazal-e-Khuda (posthumous) for music, Jayanto Chattopadhyay for recitation, Nawazish Ali Khan for Shilpakala (arts), and Kanak Chanpa Chakma for painting. Besides, Momtaz Uddin (posthumously) was given the award in the Liberation War category, Md Shah Alamgir (posthumously) in journalism, Dr Md Abdul Majid in research, Professor Dr Mazharul Islam (posthumously) in education, Saidul Haque in social service, Advocate Manjurul Islam (posthumously) and Akhter Uddin Mia (posthumously) in politics, and Dr Maniruzzaman in language and literature. Bangladesh National Museum received the award in the category of education and Bidyanondo Foundation in social service. Each awardee received a gold medal, a certificate of honour, and a cheque worth Tk four lakh. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid chaired the award giving ceremony, while Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain conducted it and read out the citations of the award recipients. Cultural Affairs Secretary Md. Abul Monsur delivered the welcome address. The Ekushey Padak was introduced in the memory of the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement.

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair's traditional dates got shifted for the past two editions due to Covid-19. With virus-era norms like social distancing now discarded this year's fair is set to return to its usual start date of February 1, and barring some unforeseen pandemic-level event, last the entire month at Bangla Academy's sprawling premises, along with the adjacent Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.  For the first time since 2020, the prime minister will inaugurate the fair in person. She will also distribute the Bangla Academy Literary Award 2022 among the recipients at the inaugural ceremony and unveil seven new books. The ceremony will be chaired by Bangla Academy President novelist Selina Hossain. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur and Bangla Academy Director General poet Nurul Huda will also be present. Nine hundred and one units have been allocated to 601 organisations for this year's book fair, compared to 776 units to 534 organisations last year. One hundred and sixty-five units have been allocated to 112 organisations on the Bangla Academy premises and 736 units to 489 organisations at Suhrawardy Udyan. "Considering the suggestions and demands of the publishers and the fairgoers, we have made some changes in stall and pavilion arrangement as well as the entry and exit points. The previous cluster method is being changed and all the 489 stalls inside Suhrawardi Udyan have been set up in a way so that a visitor can see the whole fairground from any corner," Amar Ekushey Book Fair Committee Secretary KM Mujahidul Islam said at the press conference. "The stalls of police, Ansar and fire service have been set up in the spot near the Institution of Engineers. Two confined zones have also been dedicated for food courts; there will be no unorganised, open or street food shops." Due to publishers' requests regarding their commercial concerns, seven pavilions and 182 stalls have been moved from the Institution of Engineers area to the main fairground venue. Also, the main entrance to the Suhrawardi Udyan area of the fair has been changed, and the temple gate of the Suhrawardi Udyan will now be the main entrance, which is located opposite the Bangla Academy. Also, there will be three more entrances and exits in the Teacher-Student Center (TSC), Doyel Chattar and the Institution of Engineers sections. The traditional "Shishu Prohor" segment will be back this year after being shelved for two years in a row due to Covid. And the fair authority will organise this dedicated segment for child fairgoers every Friday and Saturday from 11am to 1pm. The "Shishu Chattar" has also been shifted from its previous place to the temple area this year. Seminars will be held at the main stage of the fair venue at 4pm every day, followed by cultural events. There will be three information centres and a media centre at the Suhrawardi Udyan fairground for the fairgoers. The fair venue was first extended to Suhrawardy Udyan in 2013 to accommodate more space besides its fixed venue at the Bangla Academy. The entire fair zone will be closely monitored by more than 300 CCTV cameras. The Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award will be distributed to the best publishers. At the same time, the Munir Chowdhury Memorial Award will be conferred upon three organisations for publishing the best books in the 2022 fair. Also, the Rokanuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Memorial Award will be given to the writer of the best children's book. The Artist Qayyum Chowdhury Memorial Award will be given to the best-designed stall at the fair. The fairgoers can move through the four entrances and four exit points from 3pm to 9pm on regular days and 11am to 9pm on the holidays. However, they can enter the fair on International Mother Language Day at 8am, and all entrance points will be closed after 8.30pm. The month-long book fair is arranged every year in February commemorating the sacrifices of people who laid down their lives on February 21, 1952, for establishing Bangla as the mother tongue. The traditional Amar Ekushey Book Fair began informally in 1972 on the Bangla Academy premises; however, the academy officially took the responsibility of arranging the fair regularly, every year in 1978. It was then named Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela and a guideline was laid out in this regard in 1984. Read more: Longest-running Amar Ekushey Book Fair ends; Tk52.50 crore books sold

As the air fills with the sadness of the song "Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February," the nation will pay deep respects to the martyrs of the Language Movement Monday, marking "Amar Ekushey," Shaheed Dibash (Martyrs' Day) and International Mother Language Day. Seventy years ago, the Language Movement was aimed at establishing the right of the mother tongue as well as protecting self-identity, culture and heritage. It inspired the nation to a great extent to achieve the right to self-determination and struggle for freedom and the Liberation War. With wreaths and flowers, people from all walks of life will pay tributes to the heroes of the Language Movement of 1952, who laid down their lives for achieving the recognition of Bangla as the state language of then Pakistan, at the Central Shaheed Minar. Also read: 21st February: DU to pay glowing tributes to Language Movement heroes

Amid the spike in Covid-19 cases in the country, Amar Ekushey Book Fair -2022, which was scheduled to begin on February 1, has been postponed by two weeks. “State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said the government has taken a decision to postpone the Amar Ekushey Book Fair  considering the overall Covid situation,” Foysal Hasan, senior Public relations officer of the ministry told UNB. Last year, the month-long fair, which usually begins on Fenruary1, was also postponed to avoid the risks of Covid-19 infections. Later, the fair began on March 18 at the Bangla Academy premises and the adjacent venue at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. READ: Bangla Academy on war footing ahead of Amar Ekushey Book Fair The book fair is arranged every year in February commemorating the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives on 21 February 1952 for establishing Bangla as the mother tongue. The traditional Amar Ekushey Book Fair began informally in 1972 at the Bangla Academy premises.  However, the academy officially took the responsibility to arrange the fair regularly -- every year since 1978. READ: Ekushey Book Fair: 3 publishing houses awarded for using bKash It was then named as ‘Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela’ and a guideline was laid out in this regard in 1984.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Sunday paid tributes to the 1952 language martyrs through "probhat ferry" and placing wreaths at a Shaheed Minar, at the chancery.