<i>Language Movement heroes of Magura are still unsung</i>
MAGURA LANGUAGE MOVEMENT VETERANS: From above left -- Khan Ziaul Haque and Aminul Islam Chandu Mian are living while Nasirul Islam Abu Mian, Hamiduzzaman Ehia, below, Abdus Salam, Ali Ahmed, Mirza Shawkat and Jalil Khan have passed away. Photo: STAR FILE PHOTO
Language Movement heroes in Magura, who faced torture and captivity to uphold the dignity of the mother language during the turbulent days of February 1952, are yet to get due recognition. "No political or socio-cultural organisations held any programme to pay tribute to the Language Movement veterans here and most of them have already passed away with heavy hearts," said Khan Ziaul Huq, a leading Language Movement veteran and educationist. After the heroic sons of the soil, especially students, launched the Language Movement in the then provincial capital Dhaka, its wave rapidly touched the then sub-divisional town Magura like many other parts of the country. Students of the then Islamic College (now Government Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy College) joined the movement to establish Bangla as a state language and it soon spread to even remote areas of the then sub-division, Language Movement veterans said. Student leaders Nasirul Islam Abu Mian, Khan Ziaul Huq, Abdul Jalil Khan, Aminul Islam Chandu Mian and Azim Dewan led the movement at Magura. Nasirul Islam and Abdul Jalil have already passed away while Ziaul Huq and Aminul Islam are still alive with their heavy hearts. On February 21 in 1952, police picked up Ziaul Huq, Aminul Islam and some other leaders when they brought out a procession from Nomani Maidan and moved towards Chourongi Square in Magura town, said the Language Movement veterans. That time Mirza Shawkat Hossain, a student leader of the then Iqbal Hall (present Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall) of Dhaka University came to Magura and held meetings at different educational institutions and played a key role to organise and motivate students to join the movement. Another student leader of Raicharan High School AK Hamiduzzaman Ehia with the cooperation of the then headmaster of Sreepur High School Abdur Rahim Joarder started organising the students of different institutions in the then Sreepur thana. Abdus Salam, Abdur Rashed, Ali Ahmed and Jitendronath Ghosh among others assisted Ehia, Ziaul Huq and Aminul Islam said. On February 21 of 1952, different programmes including rally was held at Magura to observe the day under the leadership of Nasirul Islam Abu Mian, they said. Our new generation should be made aware about the contribution of language heroes so that they get inspired to make sacrifices for the nation when situation demands, Ziaul Huq said. "The government should take immediate steps to honour the language heroes at least posthumously," said Aminul Islam.
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