Mymensingh: On the first hour of International Mother Language and Shaheed Dibash, the people of Gafargaon paid their deepest respect to Abdul Jabbar and all the martyrs. The Shaheed Minar of Memory was awakened by the heartfelt touch of thousands of people in Panchua (Jabbar Nagar), Gafargaon, the village home of language martyr Abdul Jabbar.

In the first hour of Ekushey, 6 km from the upazila headquarters, the central Shaheed Minar area of the upazila adjacent to the house of the language martyr was filled to the brim before midnight.

Fair in connection with Shaheed Dibash

The fair is being held next to the Abdul Jabbar Library and Memorial Museum. At 12:01 am, at the Shaheed Minar of the Language Martyr Abdul Jabbar and Library Memorial Museum premises, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rubaiya Yasmin and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Amir Salman Rony first placed wreaths at the Shaheed Bedi on behalf of the upazila administration. Later, Additional Superintendent of Police (Gafargaon Circle) Afroza Nazneen, Gafargaon Police Station OC Muhammad Shibirul Islam, Pagla Police Station OC Mohammad Ferdous Alam, Upazila BNP, Jamaat and allied organizations, then Gafargaon Municipality, Gafargaon Press Club, Gangchil Association, various government and private organizations, schools and colleges, literary and cultural and voluntary organizations and thousands of people from all walks of life placed wreaths. On this occasion, a day-long discussion meeting, cultural programs and various product fairs were held in Jabbar Nagar and the Book House Gafargaon Book Fair was organized. Lakhs of people from various unions including the Upazila headquarters and several hundred vehicles arrived at the house of Language Martyr Abdul Jabbar. The fair is being held next to the Language Martyr Abdul Jabbar Library and Memorial Museum. The fair includes various types of rural food including nagordola, nimki, jilapi, manda, mithai, binni and khai. There are clay banks, horses, pots and pans, and clay dolls. To celebrate the day with due dignity, the Upazila administration has organized a discussion meeting and cultural program in the premises of the Language Martyr Abdul Jabbar Memorial Library and Museum.

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair, known as the Bengali tradition and life fair. Although the book fair started at 7 am on the occasion of the great Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day, the sellers are not seeing the desired buyers. As a result, the sellers are spending their free time. However, stall owners and salespeople believe that sales may increase by the afternoon.

Such a picture can be seen on the ground when walking around the book fair premises organized at Suhrawardy Udyan from 11 am to 1 pm on Friday (February 21).

Considering the visitors and readers who have come to pay their respects at Shaheed Minar on the occasion of the great Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair started at 7 am today. It will continue till 9 pm. But the presence of visitors and readers was not much seen. The book fair is quite empty. Most of the salespeople and stall owners are passing the time sitting at empty stalls. A few visitors are wandering around. Some are taking pictures. Some are passing the time by browsing the stalls and looking at books.

Samrat Khan Leon, sales representative of Pathak Sambalpur, told Barta24.com that the fair started at 7 am on the occasion of February 21. But there are no buyers. However, it is expected that the presence of buyers may increase after noon on a holiday.

Farzana, sales representative of Arjan Publications, said, "As we had expected, today is a holiday, February 21st. People will come from the morning. Everyone will come to the book fair after paying homage at the Shaheed Minar. But there are no buyers at the book fair since the morning. Those who come one by one are also walking around and leaving."

Md. Faruk Hossain, sales worker of Etki Granth Prakash, said, "There are no buyers, brother. It can be said that there has been no sale since the morning."

Faruk Hossain came to the book fair on a holiday. He said, "I just came to the book fair. When I came, I thought there would be a lot of crowd today." But when I arrived, I found the fair empty. It was good, I could go around the fair and buy the books I liked.

Another person named Humayun said, I came to Shaheed Minar so I thought I would go around the book fair. I liked a book and bought it. Now I will leave.

It is learned that the main theme of this year's book fair is 'July Mass Uprising: Building a New Bangladesh'. There is also a July square. 708 publishing houses are participating in the fair. Last year, this number was 635.

This time, 99 institutions are in the Bangla Academy premises and 609 institutions are in the Suhrawardy Udyan section. Out of a total of 37 pavilions, 36 will be in Suhrawardy Udyan. There will be 1 in the Bangla Academy premises. The fair will be open from 3 pm to 9 pm every day from February 1 to February 28. No one will be able to enter the fair premises after 8:30 pm. On holidays, the book fair will run from 11 am to 9 pm. The fair, which is on February 21, the Great Shaheed Dibash and International Mother Language Day, started at 7 am and will continue till 9 pm.

Dhaka: Fagun comes and goes again. The red blood-stained black peak blooms on the top of the sky. The red color of that black peak falling in the storm reminds us of Ekushey. Of February 21, 1952 the day this path was stained with the blood of Rafiq-Jabbar-Barkat. The trend of not bowing down that day through blood, the right to speak in one's mother tongue, will continue throughout the world forever.

The outpouring of respect from the public at the Central Shaheed Minar on Friday (February 21), the urge to save the day on their own initiative, the spontaneous participation of all people, from children to the elderly, men and women, regardless of religion or caste, unites us and reminds us of Bengal, of my mother tongue.

Such was the expression on the faces of all those people who had gathered since morning. They remembered the martyrs with respect. They resolved to preserve their mother tongue. Speaking about the freedom to speak in one's mother tongue. The hope is that not only Bengalis but every person in the world will become the owner of their mother and mother's language.

Businessman Omar Sunny left Mirpur at 6 am to pay tribute to the Central Shaheed Minar. He is not alone, he brought his wife Munni Akhtar and two daughters Munzerin and Tasmim with him.

Omar Sunny told Barta24.com, "We are 24 by holding the hand of 21. That day, the consciousness of demanding the right to our mother tongue was awakened in us with the same consciousness. I came here with my family to introduce myself to the struggle that has been going on for ages to achieve our rights. I paid tribute to those soldiers who achieved our rights.

Russell Sabbir, who observes this day every year by paying tribute to the martyrs in the morning, brought his daughter Raisa Tanzim with him. He said that the movement for each nation to retain its own language was spread to the world on this day in 1952 with their blood by Rafiq, Salam, Jabbar and Barkat. The Bengali language is a very rich language. The expression and sweetness of this language are incomparable. If we can present this language correctly in front of the world, then our status as a nation will increase.

Not only the common people, but also politicians, civil society, teachers, intellectuals, all have the same words. About equality, about non-discrimination, about a democratic country and rights.

Rajequzzaman Ratan, Assistant General Secretary of the Central Committee of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-BSD, said that the language movement of 1952 was democratic. The Urdu language of 7 percent of the people will not be imposed on 56 percent of the people. The spirit of 1952 was where there would be no discrimination due to religion, caste or color. A culture was created at the Shaheed Minar where everyone can pay homage in memory of Ekushey. In continuation of that, 71, 90 and 24 came. The demand there is a democratic, discrimination-free country.

Regarding this ongoing struggle to realize rights from 1952 to 24, Maleka Banu, General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said that the democratic struggle is an ongoing process. As long as it takes, we will continue this struggle. We have stumbled at various times, but we have not stopped. We have to walk this path; we have to fight this struggle. We cannot say that we have reached the pinnacle of success. We have stumbled, but the struggle will continue.

After the 24 mass uprising, the same words are being heard in everyone's voice. It is about moving forward in the spirit of the language movement. Not just 52, 71 or 24 but about weaving the movement for the realization of human rights into the same thread. It is about building a society without discrimination and taking the country forward in unity.

The sacrifice of students and the public has opened new doors not only in politics, but also in our culture and society, said Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

He said this in a video message while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the 7th National Comdeca of National Scout Training-2 at the hard point of Sirajganj Town Protection Dam on Thursday (February 20) afternoon.

The Chief Adviser called on everyone to be vigilant so that no dictatorial government can return to this country again. He said, the mass uprising took place on July 24 at the cost of the blood of hundreds of students, youth and teenagers, and the door of new possibilities has been opened in the country with the fall of the dictatorial government. Sacrifice for the country never goes in vain.

The National ComDekar is being held under the slogan “Scouting to build a society without discrimination”. Inaugurating the 7th National Comdeca, the Chief Adviser said, the significance and value of the July Revolution is very high. Many young people lost their lives due to the repressive policies of the authoritarian government. The graffiti painted on the walls of Dhaka, pictures of bloody roads and the slogans uttered by the protesters during the turbulent period of the movement still leave a mark on our minds.

President of the 7th National Comdeca Organizing Committee and Principal Secretary of the Chief Adviser M Siraj Uddin Mia presided over the program, and the welcome speech was delivered by Comdeca Chief Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, 7th National Comdeca of Bangladesh Scout.

Among others, members of the Ad Hoc Committee of Bangladesh Scout Dr. Md. Aminul Islam, Kh. M. Rakibul Islam and Farida Yasmin spoke at the program.

Nearly 5,000 scout members, including 3,200 rover and volunteers, unit leaders and officers from 400 units of colleges and universities from all over the country, participated in the 7th National Comdeca.