Magura Language Heroes
No words of praise from the state yet
Magura Language Movement heroes: Above (left to right): Late Narsirul Islam Abu Mian, Khan Ziaul Haque, Aminul Islam Chandu Mian and Hamiduzzaman Ehia. Below (left to right): Late Abdus Salam, Ali Ahmed, Mirza Shawkat and late Jalil Khan.Photo: STAR
Language Movement heroes in Magura have hardly got any recognition from the state, although they braved all odds to uphold the dignity of mother language during the turbulent days of February, 1952. Taking part in the Language Movement in the then sub-divisional headquarters, many of them faced police torture and imprisonment, said a few of the still surviving heroes. "No political or socio-cultural organisations here held any programme in honour of the glorious role of Language Movement heroes and most of them have already passed away unsung," said Khan Ziaul Huq, a leading Language Movement hero and educationist in Magura. It was essential to make the nation aware about the contribution of language heroes to encourage our new generation to sacrifice during such national crisis, he said. "The government should take initiative so that language heroes can get state honour at least posthumously," said another Language Movement hero Aminul Islam Chandu Mian. The wave of the Language Movement, launched from the then provincial capital Dhaka, rapidly touched the then sub-divisional headquarters of Magura like many other parts of the country. Local student leaders along with general students of the then Islamic College (now Government Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy College) embarked on the movement to establish Bangla as a state language, Language Movement veterans said. Student leaders Nasirul Islam Abu Mian, Khan Ziaul Huq, Abdul Jalil Khan, Aminul Islam Chandu Mian and Azim Dewan mainly led the movement at Magura. Ziaul Huq and Chandu Mian are still alive while two others have passed away. On February 21 of 1952, various programmes including rally was held at Magura under the leadership of Nasirul Islam Abu Mian. Police picked up Ziaul Huq, Chandu Mian and some other leaders when they brought out a procession from Nomani Maidan area and moved towards Chourongi Square in Magura town, said the language heroes. Meanwhile, Mirza Shawkat Hossain, a student leader from the then Iqbal Hall of Dhaka University, came to Magura and held meetings at different educational institutions and played a key role to motivate and organise the general students in joining the language movement. Another student leader of Raicharan High School AK Hamiduzzaman Ehia with the cooperation of Sreepur High School headmaster Abdur Rahim Joarder began to organise the students of different institutions in the then Sreepur thana. Abdus Salam, Abdur Rashed, Ali Ahmed and Jitendranath Ghosh, among others, assisted Ehia, local Language Movement veterans said.
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