The Language Movement Day, officially called the Martyrs' Day, is a national holiday of Bangladesh taking place on 21 February each year and commemorating the Bengali language movement and its martyrs. On this day, people visit Shaheed Minar to pay homage to the movement's martyrs and arrange seminars discussing and promoting Bengali as the state language of Bangladesh.
The Bengali language movement was a political movement in former East Bengal in 1952, advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as a co-lingua franca of the then-Dominion of Pakistan to allow its use in government affairs, the continuation of its use as a medium of education, its use in media, currency and stamps, and to maintain its writing in the Bengali script.
The Shaheed Minar is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, established to commemorate those killed during the Bengali Language Movement demonstrations of 1952 in then East Pakistan.
International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. First announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999, it was formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly with the adoption of UN resolution 56/262 in 2002.
Jasimuddin, popularly called Palli Kabi, was a Bangladeshi poet, lyricist, composer and writer widely celebrated for his modern ballad sagas in the pastoral mode. Although his full name is Jasim Uddin Mollah, he is known as Jasim Uddin. His Nakshi Kanthar Math and Sojan Badiar Ghat are considered among the best lyrical poems in the Bengali language. He is the key figure for the revivals of pastoral literature in Bengal during the 20th century. As a versatile writer, Jasimuddin wrote poems, ballads, songs, dramas, novel, stories, memoirs, travelogues, etc.
The Bangla Academy is the official regulatory body of the Bengali language in Bangladesh. It is an autonomous institution funded by the Government of Bangladesh that fosters the Bengali language, literature and culture, works to develop and implement national language policy and conducts original research in Bengali. Established in 1955, it is located in the Burdwan House in Shahbagh, Dhaka, within the grounds of the University of Dhaka and Suhrawardy Udyan. The Bangla Academy hosts the annual Ekushey Book Fair.
Shahidullah Kaiser was a Bangladeshi novelist and writer. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1969, Ekushey Padak in 1983 and Independence Day Award in 1998.
Suhrawardy Udyan is a national memorial and public space located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Originally known as Ramna Race Course, it holds significant historical importance due to its association with key events in the country's history.
Benajir Ahmed was a Bangladeshi poet and writer. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1964 and Ekushey Padak in 1979 by the Government of Bangladesh.
Sardar Jainuddin was a Bangladeshi novelist. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1967 and Ekushey Padak in 1994 posthumously.
Shafiur Rahman is considered in Bangladesh to be a martyr of the language movement which took place in the former East Pakistan.
Ekushey Padak is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and economics. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs administers the award.
The Ekushey Book Fair, officially called the Eternal Twenty-first Book Fair, is the largest book fair in Bangladesh. Organised annually in February by Bangla Academy in Dhaka, the month-long event is free to all. In 2024, the fair attracted six million visitors and generated a record ৳600 million (US$5.0 million) in book sales.
Mohammad Abul Kashem is generally considered as a pioneer and the architect of the historic Language Movement of Bangladesh. He was also a politician, author and an eminent educationist. He founded the Islamic-oriented Bengali cultural organisation Tamaddun Majlish.
The Bengali Language Movement was a political effort in East Pakistan that advocated the adoption of Bengali as an official language. The movement faced violent opposition by the government before finally succeeding. Numerous songs, poems, novels and plays were written to commemorate the movement, as well as films and memoirs.
Mohammad Sultan was a Bangladeshi politician and language activist of the Bengali Language Movement.
Muktadhara is an international organization, publishing house and bookstore dedicated to the promotion of Bengali literature and culture. It was started in the Indian state of West Bengal by the late Chittaranjan Saha, who in his work as head of the publishing house pioneered the Ekushey Book Fair. In addition to its early involvement with The Ekushey Book Fair, the organization is connected to other cultural Bengali events, like International Language Day and the International Bengali Festival. It also participates in the spread of literature and culture by taking part in such events as the National Poetry Festival.
Ajoy Roy was a Bangladeshi professor of physics at the University of Dhaka, but was best known for his prominent role in Bangladesh's human rights activism and freethinking. He was one of the eminent educationists promoting secular humanism in Bangladesh.
Shamim Sikder was a Bangladeshi sculptor. Sikder served as a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka between 1980–2001. She was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2000 by the Government of Bangladesh.
Ahmed Rafiq is a Bangladeshi language movement activist, writer and researcher on Rabindranath Tagore and his literature. He achieved Ekushey Padak in 1995 by the Government of Bangladesh. Tagore Research Institute in Kolkata conferred the Rabindratattacharya title on him in 2011.
