DHAKA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- People in Bangladesh on Wednesday commemorated those who sacrificed for the language movement of Bangladesh in 1952.
At one minute past midnight for the special day, Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid wreaths at the country's Central Shaheed Minar, a solemn and iconic monument, in capital Dhaka.
A contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces gave a state salute, while a bugle played a dirge.
After local and foreign representatives placed wreaths at the monument, it was opened to the public.
People from all walks of life thronged to it to lay wreaths and bouquets of flowers to show their deep respect to those who lost their lives on Feb. 21 in 1952 to promote Bangla as a state language of then East Pakistan.
In 1999, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Feb. 21 as International Mother Language Day. Since 2000, the International Mother Language Day has been observed throughout the world every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. ■
