Bangladesh observed the Language martyr’s day on Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President M Abdul Hamid paying tributes to the martyrs of the historic language movement by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.

Ministers, members of parliament, chief of armed services and several other dignitaries also paid tributes to the martyrs of the language movement.

People from various walks of life, students, members of the civil society joined others in paying tributes to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in 1952 demanding that Bangla should be the language of the nation.

Discussions, Seminars and cultural programmes were held all over the country to mark this occasion.

The day is also observed as International Mother Language Day as the UNESCO recognised this day in 1999.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave away the first International Mother Language Day award to three individuals and one organisation on Sunday. Education Minister Dipu Moni handed over the award to renowned Nazrul scholar and national Professor Rafiqul Islam in a function in Dhaka on behalf of the Prime Minister. Mathura Bikash Tripura got the award for his contribution in preserving and promoting mother languages of small ethnic groups in Bangladesh. Uzbek Researcher Islaimov Gulom Mirzaevich and a Bolivian organisation named Activismo Lenguas also got the biennial prize. Activismo Lenguas is an online initiative for supporting the indigenous language digital activists in Latin America.