International Mother Language Day

On 17 November 1999, 21st February was announced as the international mother language day by UNESCO. It was about the language movement of 1952 of Bangladesh. In 1952 the people of Bangladesh (then east Pakistan) protested against the inappropriate decision of making Urdu as the state language of then Pakistan. When this situation got kind of difficult for the Pakistani govt, they invoked a limited curfew to prevent the movement. But students broke the curfew and brought out possessions and Pakistani police fired on them and a number of students were killed. Four of them were Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar, Abdus Salam and Abul Barkat. The day was so much tragic. The Bangladeshi is the only nation that sacrificed so much for there language. That's why the day was to be remembered and was given recognition as the International mother language day.

Portrayal about the day, 21st February, 1952

Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Governor General of Pakistan declared that Urdu would be the only official language for both West and East Pakistan,  On 21 March 1948. But the  population of East Pakistan was more than the West Pakistan. Beside this Urdu was spoken by only 7.05% people of the West Pakistan and Bengali was mother language of most East Pakistani peoples. So that, the propel of East Pakistan protested against the declaration of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
The students of the Dhaka University and Dhaka Medical College seized  a strong role in the cause of the Language Movement and took a vital decision and challenged the wishes of politicians. The students decided to violate Section 144 (prohibiting an assembly more than five persons) on 21st February, 1952. The then political leaders did not want to threaten the political situation by lending support to students to delay general election in East Bengal, (later East Pakistan, now Bangladesh) by violating  Section 144.
 The Agitated unarmed students of  Dhaka University, violated Section 144  in protest On 21st February, 1952 (8th Falgun 1358), to proceed to the elected members of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly and present their demand to  the Chief  Minister Nurul Amin.
At 3-30 PM, on their way at the site of the Medical College students’ hostel number 12, the police opened fire on the peaceful procession of students by an order of a West Pakistani.
Jabbar and Rafiq died on the spot. Later three others died later in hospital. It is believed that many more were killed including a ten year old boy, but their bodies were taken away by the police and were secretly buried.
(An impromptu monument had been set up by Medical College students on the site of the
current Shaheed Minar )