Today was an important day to the people of Bangladesh, it was a celebration of their mother language day, and remembered those who died fighting for the cause. On this day we dressed in black and white to mourn with the students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.
We learnt the importance of the Bangladesh flag, the green symbolises the land which they have, and the environment around them. The red symbolises the blood which was shed in fighting for their mother tongue, and their love which they have for it.
For us, it was a great honour to be able to participate in their service, we had a parade around the school block, and upon return we laid down flowers in memory of them.
The event itself is a celebration of the Bengali Language and the independence which Bangladesh gained as a result of the protest, it is a national holiday held on the 21st February every year. The history of International Language Day, began when Urdu was the only language allowed to be spoken in both East and West Pakistan. The Bangla people protested about this, and a student strike was organised – however, would not be tolerated by the Pakistan government. Five of the students who campaigned for Bangla to be recognised as one of the state languages of Pakistan were shot and killed by police. These students are seen as martyrs for their cause, which turned out to be the beginning of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.
