DHAKA, Feb 20, 2022 (BSS) - A seminar on 'the Shaheed Dibos and the 
International Mother Language Day' will be held in London, the UK, at 1:45pm 
(London time) tomorrow.

   "An International seminar on 'Language as a Launch-pad of Liberation: 
Emergence of Bangladesh' will be held at 35-47 Bethnal Green Road in London 
on Monday, marking the 70th anniversary of the martyrdom of students at Dhaka 
University," said a press release of Ray Events, organizer of the seminar, 
here today.

   Eminent economist of Bangladesh Professor Rehman Sobhan, Indian Ambassador 
and author of the book 'India and Bangladesh Liberation War' Chandrashekhar 
Dasgupta, Mark Tully of BBC, who covered the 1971 War, Bangladesh High 
Commissioner to UK Saida Muna Tasneem and Pakistani academic at SOAS Dr 
Ayesha Siddiqa will take part in the seminar as panel speakers. 

   The seminar will be held maintaining the social distancing strictly.

   On February 21 in 1952, Salam, Rafique, Shafique, Jabbar and Barkat 
embraced martyrdom in police firing in front of the Dhaka Medical College and 
Hospital (DMCH) as they took to the street to intensify the campaign to 
establish Bangla as the state language of the then Pakistan, sowing the seeds 
of subsequent movements for the country's independence.

   They were killed as police opened fire on students, demonstrating under 
the All-Party Students Action Committee against conspiracies of Pakistani 
rulers to declare "Urdu" as the only state language.

   The movement for Bangla, however, did not stop and Pakistan government on 
February 29, 1956 was compelled to recognise Bangla as one of the state 
languages besides Urdu.

   The decision, however, could not stop the movement against repression and 
misrule of Pakistani government that subsequently led the Bangalee to the War 
of Independence and the emergence of Bangladesh.

   Every year, the day is observed in Bangladesh as 'the Shaheed Dibos and 
the International Mother Language Day'. It is also observed around the world 
as the UNESCO recognised the 'February 21 (Ekushey February)' as the 
International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999.