The Shaheed Minar ( bn, শহীদ মিনার ''Shohid Minar'' lit. "Martyr Monument") is a national monument in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

, established to commemorate those killed during the Bengali Language Movement demonstrations of 1952 in then

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

. On 21 and 22 February 1952, students from Dhaka University and Dhaka Medical College and political activists were killed when the Pakistani police force opened fire on Bengali protesters who were demanding official status for their native tongue,

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

. The massacre occurred near

Dhaka Medical College Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (abbreviated DMCH) is a public medical college and hospital located in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It houses medical school as well as a tertiary care hospital on one campus. The country's first eve ...

and

Ramna Park Ramna Park ( bn, রমনা উদ্যান, ''Rômna Uddan'') is a large park and recreation area situated at the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. This forested park with pond near its center is one of the most beautiful are ...

in Dhaka. A makeshift monument was erected on 23 February by students of

Dhaka medical college Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (abbreviated DMCH) is a public medical college and hospital located in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. It houses medical school as well as a tertiary care hospital on one campus. The country's first eve ...

and other educational institutions, but soon demolished on 26 February by the Pakistani police force. The Language Movement gained momentum, and after a long struggle, Bengali gained official status in Pakistan (with

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Hamidur Rahman in collaboration with

Novera Ahmed Novera Ahmed (29 March 1939 – 6 May 2015) was a modern sculptor of Bangladesh. She was awarded Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in 1997. Artist Zainul Abedin described her work saying "What Novera is doing now will take us a long ...

. Construction was delayed by

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

, but the monument was finally completed in 1963, and stood until the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

in 1971, when it was demolished completely during

Operation Searchlight Operation Searchlight was the codename for a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army in an effort to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in former East Pakistan in March 1971. Pakistan retrospectively justified the opera ...

. After Bangladesh gained independence later that year, it was rebuilt. It was expanded in 1983. National, mourning, cultural and other activities are held each year on 21 February (''Ekushey February'') to mark

Language Movement Day (''Bhasha Andolôn Dibôs'') , nickname = bn, শহীদ দিবস (''Shôhid Dibôs'') , duration = 1 day , frequency = Annual , observedby = Bangladesh and Bengali speakers in India and elsewhere , date = 21 Feb ...

or ''Shaheed Dibas'' (Martyrs' Day), centred on the Shaheed Minar. Since 2000, 21 February is also recognised as

International Mother Language Day International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. First announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999, it was formally r ...

History

The First Shaheed Minar

Shaheed Minar at Dhaka Madical College 21 Feb 1954

The first Shaheed Minar was built immediately after the events of 21–22 February 1952. According to Dr. Sayeed Haider the main planner and the designer of the first Shaheed Minar, the decision to build it was first made by the students of Dhaka Medical College. Shaheed Minar is situated near Dhaka Medical College Hospital and in the Dhaka University area. It is adjacent to the Mathematics department of Dhaka University. It is only 0.5 kilometres (0.3 mi) away from Shahbag and 0.25 km (0.16 mi) distant from Chankharpul. Shaheed Minar is an outstanding monument of Bangladesh. It was built to tribute the martyrs who given up their life for language. The main incident had been occurring inside of Dhaka medical college hospital. So a decision was taken to build a memorial adjacent to DMCH. The planning started at midnight on 22 February, and the work started the next day. This Minar was sponsored by

Pearu Sardar Pearu Sardar (1893–1961) was an area leader of Dhaka, Pakistan. At the beginning of the 20th century, the area leader of Dhaka was known as ''Sardar''; he was known for his involvement in the Language Movement of 1952. The first Shaheed Minar t ...

, one of the old Dhaka panchayet sardars, when some of the students asked his help at midnight of 22 February, to contribute the raw materials needed to build the monument. Although curfew was in place, students started building the Minar in the afternoon of 23 February. They worked through the night and finished it at dawn. A hand written paper was attached to the Minar with "Shaheed Smritistombho" written on it. The original Minar was on a base measuring . The Minar was inaugurated by the father of

Shafiur Rahman Shafiur Rahman ( bn, শফিউর রহমান) (24 January 1918 – 22 February 1952) is considered in Bangladesh to be a martyr of the language movement which took place in the former East Pakistan. Early life Shafiur Rahman was bor ...

, Molvi. Mahabubur Rahman, who killed during the massacre. It was demolished on 26 February by the police and Pakistani Army. Smaller versions of the memorial were built in other places. The first Shaheed Minar monument was then destroyed four days after its erection, on February 26th, 1952, by the Pakistani Police and Army. A signboard placed by the police force on top of the rubble from the Minar read "mosque". File:Making a Shaheed Minar at old campus of Dhaka College 1.png, Building a Shaheed Minar at

Dhaka College Dhaka College ( bn, ঢাকা কলেজ also known as DC) is the oldest secular educational institution of Bangladesh located in Dhaka. It offers higher secondary education ( HSC). It has Honours and Masters programs as well which are aff ...

, 1953 File:Shaheed Minar at Karjon Hall 21 Feb 1953.png, A Shaheed Minar outside

Curzon Hall The Curzon Hall is a British Raj-era building and home of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Dhaka. The building was originally intended to be a town hall and is named after Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India who laid its foundation st ...

, 1953 File:Shaheed Minar at Kola Bhavan 21 Feb 1953.png, A Shaheed Minar outside the Fine Arts building, University of Dhaka, 1953 Two years after the first monument was destroyed by the then police force, a new Shaheed Minar (Monument of Martyrs) was constructed in 1954 at the same place, to commemorate the protesters who lost their lives. This minar was inaugurated by the then Professor of Dhaka University and the pioneer and most prominent cultural and literary personality Natyaguru Nurul Momen. Work on a larger monument designed by the architect Hamidur Rahman began in 1957 with the support of the

United Front A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts and/or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political ...

government.

Shaheed Minar (1963–1971)

Following the formation of local government by the United Front in April 1954, the anniversary of 21 February was declared a holiday and it became possible to construct the new monument. A foundation stone was laid in 1956, and a government committee chaired by

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

Vice-Chancellor Dr Mahmud Husain and including the principal of the Fine College of Arts,

Zainul Abedin Zainul Abedin (29 December 1914 – 28 May 1976) was a Bangladeshi painter born in Mymensingh, East Bengal, British India (now Bangladesh). He became well known in 1944 through his series of paintings depicting some of the great famines in ...

, was constituted to plan, design, and approve the monument's construction. The committee approved the design of sculptor Hamidur Rahman, followed by the construction of Shaheed Minar, starting in 1957. Hamidur Rahman's model was a huge complex on a large area of land in the yard of

Hostel. The enormous design included a half-circular column to symbolise the mother with her fallen sons standing on the monument's central dais. Yellow and deep blue pieces of stained glass, symbolising eyes reflecting the sun, were also to be placed in the columns. The marble floor was designed to reflect the moving shadows of the columns. The basement of the Minar also included a fresco depicting the history of the language movement. A railing decorated with

Bengali alphabet The Bengali script or Bangla alphabet ( bn, বাংলা বর্ণমালা, ''Bangla bôrṇômala'') is the alphabet used to write the Bengali language based on the Bengali-Assamese script, and has historically been used to w ...

was to be constructed in front. Two footmarks coloured red and black, indicating the two opposite forces, were also in the design. Besides this a museum and a library were also included in Hamidur Rahman's design. A fountain shaped like an eye was also to be constructed. Rahman specifically designed the materials of the monument to withstand the area's tropical climate. Construction started in November 1957, under the supervision of Hamidur Rahman and Novera Ahmed. Most of the work, including the basement, platform, some of the columns with the rails, footprints and some of the murals were also finished when

was declared in the area, and the construction was forced to a halt. Construction work was completed in 1963, leaving much of Fatamatuj's design unfinished. It was inaugurated on 21 February 1963, by the mother of Abul Barkat, Hasina Begum. The Minar was severely damaged by the Pakistan Army during the

in 1971. The columns were destroyed on the night of the commencement of the genocide, 25 March 1971. The Pakistani Army crushed the Minar and placed over the rubble a signboard reading "Mosque".

Re-establishment of Shaheed Minar and current state

In 1972, a committee headed by the then president Abu Sayeed Chowdhury was formed and renovation work began. The original sketch was ignored, while the Construction and Building Directorate followed the 1963 design. The construction went quickly, according to a modified design from 1963. The murals destroyed by the Pakistani army were not restored and the basement was sealed off. Hamidur Rahman's original design was not approved by the directorate in the renovation work. In the mid-eighties, the monument underwent further renovation under the supervision of the then Department of Architecture chief architect SHM Abul Bashar, which extended the area of the Shaheed Minar premises, giving it a square shape from a triangular one. Quarters concerned demanded proper implementation of the design by Hamidur Rahman with the help of sculptor Novera Ahmed and Danish architect Gean Deleuran. ASM Ismail said that because of the extension, two entrances to the basement murals were permanently closed, and after remaining in an abandoned state for 15 years, the murals had lost much of their gloss. In the 1983 renovation, the original poor materials were lined with marble stone. A museum and library were also featured in the original plan. In August 2010, the High Court issued eight directives for the maintenance and renovation of the Shaheed Minar and asked the Public Works Department to establish a museum and a library on its premises. Despite some flaws of proportionality, the Shaheed Minar still stands high. It is one of the city's most important monuments. The Shaheed Minar of Dhaka has a very close association with the city's cultural history. It also happens to be one of the primary Dhaka tourist attractions and is visited by thousands of tourists throughout the year. It is one of the most well-maintained monuments in Bangladesh. Special care is taken each year on the occasion of 21 February (Ekushey February). The premises are washed and cleaned thoroughly. Artists of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University then colourfully paint the Central Shaheed Minar premises with intricate designs. Thus the Shaheed Minar premises are colourful throughout the year.

Architecture

The enormous design includes a half-circular arrangement of columns to symbolise the mother, with her fallen sons, standing on the monument's central dais, and the red sun shining behind. The Central Shaheed Minar of Dhaka goes up to a height of and was made with marble stones. The stairs and barrier are highlighted in white, to create a divine look. The fence on both sides is painted with lines from poems of legendary poets in iron letters. As the visitors enter the monument they will find two statues of the patriots who sacrificed their lives in that heinous police firing of 1952. The marble floor was designed to reveal the moving shadows of the columns. The basement of the Shaheed Minar also included a 1,500-square-foot (140 m²) mural representing the history of the Language Movement. Hurried repair of the Shaheed Minar resulted in the Minar to be reconstructed incorrectly. The height of the column was shorter and the head bent more than originally planned, and the proportions of different parts of the monument were not properly maintained.

Significance

The Language Movement was one of the formidable movements which has come up in the country of Bangladesh, thus the Central Shaheed Minar epitomises efforts to represent the spirit of Bangladeshi nationalism and also highlight the importance of the Bengali language in the social and cultural progress of the country. As a result, the Shaheed Minar has a very significant place in the social and cultural mechanism of Bangladesh. At present, all national, mourning, cultural and other activities held each year, regarding 21 February, have been centred on the Shaheed Minar.

Location

The Shaheed Minar is situated near Dhaka Medical College Hospital and in the Dhaka University area. It is adjacent to the Mathematics Department of Dhaka University.

Celebration

The Shaheed Minar is symbol of Freedom for every countries Mother Tongue. This structure represents all the fallen citizens that gave their lives. So we can have the ability to speak our Mother Language around the world without being discriminated. The City Of Boynton Beach and the Honorable Mayor Steven B. Grant and his fellow commissioners have recognized this meaning, and with the help of ABPAC (American Bangladesh Public Affairs Council ) The City of Boynton Beach will celebrate and recognize that February 21 will be known as International Mother Language Day. Central Shaheed Minar Dhaka (8)