Lesson 5/54 min
Shaheed Minar & recognition
The first Shaheed Minar (1952)
- Built: 23 February 1952, by students of Dhaka Medical College
- It was named: Shaheed Smritistambha
- Design: Dr. Badrul Alam and Sayeed Haider
- Inaugurated on 24 February by Maulvi Mahbubur Rahman, father of martyr Shafiur
- Demolished by the police on 26 February
Watch out: Many books give 24 February as the day it was demolished. According to Banglapedia the date is 26 February 1952.
The Central Shaheed Minar
- Location: beside Dhaka Medical College
- Architect: Hamidur Rahman, working with Novera Ahmed
- Inaugurated: 21 February 1963, by Hasina Begum, mother of martyr Barkat
More to know
- The country's tallest Shaheed Minar (71 feet) is at Jahangirnagar University; architect Rabiul Husain
- The sculpture “Moder Gorob” stands at Bangla Academy; sculptor Akhil Paul
- First Shaheed Minar abroad: Oldham, United Kingdom, in 1997
- First one abroad built by the Government of Bangladesh: Tokyo, Japan, in 2005
Recognition
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 16 February 1956 | Pakistan's Constituent Assembly adopts both Bangla and Urdu as state languages |
| 1976 | The Ekushey Padak is first awarded |
| 1987 | Parliament passes a law for the use of Bangla at all levels |
| 17 November 1999 | UNESCO declares 21 February International Mother Language Day |
| 2000 | International Mother Language Day is observed worldwide for the first time |
| 21 February 2010 | The International Mother Language Institute opens at Segunbagicha, Dhaka |
Check yourself
Who was the architect of the Central Shaheed Minar?
At a glance
- 1
The first Shaheed Minar was built on 23 February 1952; designed by Dr. Badrul Alam and Sayeed Haider.
- 2
The architect of the Central Shaheed Minar was Hamidur Rahman; it was inaugurated on 21 February 1963.
- 3
Pakistan's first constitution (1956) recognised Bangla as a state language alongside Urdu.
- 4
On 17 November 1999, UNESCO declared 21 February ‘International Mother Language Day’.
- 5
International Mother Language Day has been observed worldwide since 2000.
- 6
Under Article 3 of Bangladesh's Constitution, the state language of the Republic is Bangla.