The following write-up was sent by Tulip. Thanks, Tulip!
Every year, February 21st is a day full of remembrance, preservation, and pride. In 1947, India had split into two parts: India and Pakistan, with Pakistan further being split into the east and the west. East Pakistan is now called Bangladesh, while West Pakistan is now simply Pakistan. Soon after the partition, Pakistan announced Urdu as the one and only national language. That resulted in many protests. The students at University of Dhaka and others arranged a protest. Then, the police opened fire and the demonstrators, killing four students. Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar, Shafiur, and Salam lost their lives campaigning for their rights. On February 21, 1956 their deaths were justified by Bengali becoming an official language. UNESCO declared February 21st as International Mother Language Day in 1999.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh the Shaheed Minar is dedicated to those who lost their precious lives protesting. The monument has been in three different versions. The first version was built in 1952 except the police and army wrecked the whole site. In 1957, the second version was in the makings but got ruined during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The third version of the sacred monument was inspired by the plans for the previous version of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Fortunately, one can visit Dhaka today and see this beauty. In the UK, there are many replicas of the monument.
Tulip
Wow, I never knew about that. I knew that India separated into 3 parts but I never knew that behind that there was death and the creation of a language.