Shaheed Minar

The Shaheed Minar is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, dedicated to those slain during the Bengali Language Movement demonstrations in then-East Pakistan in 1952.

On the 21st and 22nd of February 1952, students from Dhaka University and Dhaka Medical College, as well as political activists, were killed as Pakistani police opened fire on Bengali protestors demanding official recognition for their native language, Bengali. In Dhaka, the slaughter took place near Dhaka Medical College and Ramna Park. On February 23, students from Dhaka Medical College and other educational institutions created a temporary monument, which was quickly removed by Pakistani police on February 26.

The Language Movement gained traction, and after a protracted struggle, Bengali (together with Urdu) was granted official status in Pakistan in 1956. The Shaheed Minar was planned and built to honor the fallen by Bangladeshi sculptors Hamidur Rahman and Novera Ahmed in partnership. Martial law slowed construction, but the monument was finished in 1963 and stood until the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 when it was entirely dismantled during Operation Searchlight. It was renovated after Bangladesh got independence later that year. In 1983, it was expanded.

Every year on 21 February (Ekushey February), national, mourning, cultural, and other activities are done to commemorate Language Movement Day or Shaheed Dibas (Martyrs' Day), which is centered on the Shaheed Minar. Since 2000, the 21st of February has also been designated as International Mother Language Day.

Location: University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh