On the occasion of Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian awards given to Bangladeshi artists and notables on commemoration of the Language Movement of February 21st 1952, Sheikh Hasina, encouraged Bengalis of all stripes and codas to make of Bangladesh a knowledge economy for the 21st Century.
She encouraged artists, and poets to create art that reflects upon Bengali history and culture. Speaking to a rapt audience, Sheikh Hasina celebrated the momentous occasion on which Bangladeshi nationalism struck a chord on people within and outside the Subcontinent.
As the Daily Star reports, she claimed,
“Ekush (21st February) is the address of our existence. It is the charter of Bangalee nationalism, secularism and non-communal spirit. Evil forces will never be able to erase the non-communal tradition and culture from the hearts of the people as Ekush will remain alive forever in our hearts,” she said.
Further she said “We are such a rare nation in the world, which had sacrificed lives to uphold dignity of its mother tongue. Through the path of language movement, we also attained independence defeating a mighty force. Now our government’s mission is to turn Bangladesh into a technology-based modern country.”
Now that the 21st is observed as International Mother Language Day, Hasina said the occasion is only longer a fact of the matter for Bengalis. Now all people who struggle for their identity and who want to base their politics on their shared history can lay claim to February 21st, Ekushey February and all that it contains and entails.
