Language Movement Day observed across West Bengal

A number of programmes were held on Wednesday in different parts of West Bengal celebrated as Language Movement Day, commemorating the beginning of a movement to protect Bengali language in erstwhile East Pakistan .

The day is termed simply as 'Ekush-e' (21st) in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, which share the same linguistic and cultural heritage.

Recognised as the 'International Mother Language Day' by the United Nations, the day was marked by morning processions, recitations, singing of songs of Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Islam and others.

At Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan, students from Bangladesh were joined by other pupils in processions in the campus followed by a cultural programme.

The Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh here organised a morning procession, offering flowers to the pictures of martyrs for the cause and also a cultural programme.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid her respects to the martyrs who laid down their lives demanding recognition of Bengali as official language instead of Urdu when they joined a protest at Dhaka University on this day in 1952.

"My highest respect to the ‘language martyrs' of Ekushe February. We must respect and love all languages," Banerjee said in a message.

The chief minister, who is on a visit to South Dinajpur district bordering Bangladesh, announced setting up of an university at Gangarampur while addressing a public meeting there to mark the day.

"Today is Bhasa Divas. To commemorate the day I am announcing the setting up of an university here, which is so close to the Bangladesh border," she said.

Recitations, seminars on different aspects of the language and singing of songs written by poets from both sides of the border were the highlights of the functions held in various schools, colleges and universities.