The first 21st February in independent country

Hasan Murshed

Two months and four days after independence, the great Ekushey February came. The country was war-torn. The infrastructure was in ruins. The smell of corpses was still in the air. Innumerable mass graves were being discovered every day in different parts of the country. Human bones, skeletons, and skulls were being dug up from the ground. In this reality, when the first Ekushey February of independent Bangladesh came in 1972, the historic Shaheed Minar in front of Dhaka Medical College was still without a minaret.

A seven-day program was announced on the occasion of February 21, 1972. This included various programs including keeping the flags at half-mast on the highest government and private buildings in the country.
An exceptional pamphlet titled ‘Read Bangla, Write Bangla’ was distributed by the Bangladesh Chhatra League. The third day of the seven-day program was Friday, February 18, 1972. On that day, the then leaders of the Chhatra League, Noor-e-Alam Siddiqui, Shajahan Siraj and others, handed over the pamphlet ‘Read Bangla, Write Bangla’ to Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on behalf of the Chhatra League.

The next day, on February 19, the news was published in the Daily Bangla and Bangladesh Observer newspapers, along with photos.

February 21, 1972 was a Monday. Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led the celebration of Martyrs’ Day with due dignity.

The news of the celebration of February 21, 1972, was published in detail in the newspapers on Wednesday, February 23. The front pages of the newspapers that day featured pictorial news of the celebration of Martyrs’ Day as the main report.

The front page of Purbadesh newspaper had an eight-column main report with pictures. The title was, ‘Celebrating National Martyrs’ Day with a New Spirit Across the Country: Bangabandhu’s Call from the Altar of the Central Minar—Build the Country on Four Fundamental Principles.’
The report read, ‘…Bangabandhu, along with other members of the Cabinet, in the morning offered garlands at the shrine of the martyrs of the Bayanna Language Movement at the Azimpur cemetery and prayed for the forgiveness of their souls. From there, Bangabandhu walked barefoot to the Shaheed Minar and offered a garland. During his speech there, Bangabandhu declared, “The struggle will continue until an exploitation-free society is established.”