Nation set to observe Amar Ekushey

The nation will observe Amar Ekushey paying homage to the martyrs of the language movement of 1952 a minute after midnight past Wednesday by placing flowers standing in solemn silence for a while at Shaheed Minars across the country amid beefed up security.
The Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka has been decorated with Bangla letters against the backdrop of a rising sun for the observance of Shaheed Dibas, which has also been observed simultaneously as the International Mother Language Day since 2000 following UNESCO decision announced in November 1999.
On February 21, 1952, corresponding to Phalgun 8, 1359 on Bangla calendar, the then Pakistan rulers banned protests against the announcement that Urdu would be the only state language even though a majority of the combined population spoke Bangla.
Salam, Jabbar, Rafiq and Barkat were killed in police firing on a students’ procession brought out defying the ban demanding Bangla as a state language on February 21, 1952.
The events of the language movement led to other landmark movements, including the historic Six-Point Movement of 1966, Mass Uprising in 1969 and culminated into the War of Independence in 1971.
Like other years, Dhaka University is supervising the Amar Ekushey observance programmes.
Observance committee member secretary AKM Golam Rabbani said that they completed all preparations and urged the people to make the observance a success. 
Fine arts faculty students decorated the Central Shaheed Minar alter in Dhaka and the walls around the monument with floral designs. Roads been decorated with the national flag, festoons and cardboard cut-outs with Bangla letters.
People from all walks of life will place wreaths at Shaheed Minars singing in chorus ‘Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushey February, Ami Ki Bhulite Pari’, standing in solemn silence for a while and file past the altar in honour of the language movement heroes.
President Abdul Hamid is expected to lead the nation to pay tribute to language heroes at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, built in memory of the martyrs, a minute past midnight. The president will be followed by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the speaker, the chief justice, and Dhaka University teachers, language movement heroes and others.
Soon after the departure of the state dignitaries, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life would throng the area to pay floral tributes to the martyrs.
Different political parties, including the ruling Awami League and thew Bangladesh Nationalist Party, socio-cultural and professional organisations and educational institutions have taken elaborate programmes to mark the day.
Law enforcers have drawn up a four-tier security for the Central Shaheed Minar and in its vicinity, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia told reporters at the Central Shaheed Minar.
‘There are no active threats. We have taken highest security measures to ensure peaceful observance of Amar Ekushey,’ he said, adding that the entire area would be under the supervision of CCTV and visitors would need to cross multiple archways and checkpoints to enter the premises.
Bomb disposal squads, Special Weapon and Tactics personnel, police personnel in plain clothes, patrol and roof-top security will be deployed to maintain law and order around the Central Shaheed Minar, he said.
He said that 16,000 cops would be deployed in Dhaka, including 6,000 in the Central Shaheed Minar and its adjacent areas, to keep law and order for peaceful observance of the day.
Traffic will not be allowed on roads passing by the Shaheed Minar between 6:00pm on Wednesday and 2:00pm on Thursday except for vehicles with authorised stickers.
People will be allowed to use road in front of old High Court Building, via Doyel Crossing, Bangla Academy, TSC crossing, road beside Dhaka University vice-chancellor’s house, Nilkhet police box, New Market crossing on their way to Azimpur graveyard, Dhaka University officials said.
People who do not want to visit Azimpur graveyard, will be able to go to Shaheed Minar through the road left side of Nilkhet police box crossing and road leading to Salimullah Muslim Hall, Jagannath Hall.
People will be allowed to visit Shaheed Minar from New Market crossing via road passing by Home Economics College and Eden Girls College, Ice Cream crossing at Azimpur, Plassey crossing, roads in front of Salimullah Muslim Hall and Jagannath Hall.
People will also be allowed to visit Shaheed Minar using Chankhar Pool and Bakshibazar crossing, through road on the south side of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, roads in front of Salimullah Muslim hall and Jagannath Hall.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net