Shaheed Minar, Dhaka

Shaheed Minar, Dhaka

Shaheed Minar monument in-built memory of the mother language martyrs, UN agency were killed on twenty one Gregorian calendar month 1952 throughout the language movement. A memorial to the martyrs was engineered instantly once the killings, on twenty three Gregorian calendar month 1952.

The coming up with, choice of the positioning and therefore the construction work of the memorial were done on the initiative of the scholars of national capital Medical school. the little structure of the primary memorial, on a base 101/2 feet high and vi feet wide, was created at the spot wherever the shootings had taken place: the south-eastern corner of the current martyr Minar premises. instantly once construction, a plate with the words ‘Shaheed Smrtistambha’ (monument within the memory of the martyrs) was pasted to the monument.

The memorial became a put concentration for the town dwellers and have become the image of protests. folks crowded there in teams. The memorial was formally inaugurated by abul kalam shamsuddin, the then editor of the daily azad, on the morning of twenty six Gregorian calendar month. Police cordoned the Medical school hostel that afternoon and destroyed the monument. though the monument was destroyed, the Pakistani ruling lot couldn't efface the memory of the martyrs. unnumbered little memorials on constant model were engineered everywhere the country, specially within the academic establishments. In 1953 the scholars and youth community of the country ascertained twenty one Gregorian calendar month as 'Shaheed Dibas' (martyrs' day). a reproduction of the memorial in red paper was put in in 1953 within the yard of the Medical school Hostel at the spot wherever the primary memorial had been engineered. it absolutely was lined with a black fabric. From that symbolic martyr Minar, students launched their prabhat pheri (mourning procession) on twenty one Gregorian calendar month for the primary time that year. the subsequent year (1954) additionally the scholars ascertained martyr Day in a very similar manner. The United Front Government assumed power on three April 1954.

In the Session of nine could the govt. declared that, in step with their commitment within the 21-point programme, the martyr Minar would be engineered. twenty one Gregorian calendar month was declared as martyr Day and conjointly as a public vacation. However, the United Front Government couldn't execute its call because it was ousted from power on thirty could constant year. the muse stone of the martyr Minar was arranged  for the second time on twenty one Gregorian calendar month 1956 by Abu Hossain Sarkar, the then Chief Minister of Bangladesh, in conjunction with Maulana abdul hamid khan bhasani and Hasina Moslem, mother of Abul Barkat, the language martyr. at the same time, twenty one Gregorian calendar month was formally declared martyr Day additionally as a public vacation.

In 1957, with associate degree Awami League government in power in Bangladesh, the development work of the martyr Minar commenced within the yard of the Medical school Hostel. hamidur rahman had designed an enormous martyr Minar advanced on an outsized tract of land. within the style there was a half-circular column as a logo of the mother and her martyred sons standing on the rostrum within the main a part of the monument. several yellow and deep blue items of glass were to be imbedded within the column as symbols of eyes from that the rays of the sun would be mirrored. Besides, there was to be a railing adorned with the Bangla alphabet ahead of the monument advanced and conjointly 2 footprints, one red and one black, figuration the 2 opposing forces. the planning conjointly enclosed a depository, a library and a series of mural paintings. At one finish there was alleged to be associate degree eye-shaped fountain with a high undulating platform.

Based on this style, the development work was started in November 1957. Hamidur Rahman, aided by Novera Ahmed, supervised the development. throughout now the basement, platform and a few of the columns were completed. The rails, footprints, a number of the murals additionally as 3 sculptures by Novera Ahmed were conjointly finished. However, law was publicised in 1958 and therefore the construction was stopped. Despite this, folks continued  to go to the martyr Minar to put floral wreaths and hold conferences.

A committee fashioned in 1962 beneath the order of Azam Khan, the then Governor of Bangladesh, and headed by the Vice-Chancellor of national capital University, advised in depth changes within the original style of the martyr Minar. consequently, the planning was modified and therefore the construction of the martyr Minar was summarily completed.

It was inaugurated on twenty one Gregorian calendar month 1963 by Hasina Moslem, the mother of Barkat. although reduced and curtailed, the martyr Minar became the image of the spirit of the Language Movement within the mind of the folks. throughout the war of liberation in 1971, the Pakistani army once more destroyed the Minar and placed a structure there with the word 'Mosque' written on that. The musjid wasn't engineered, and in 1972, in associate degree freelance East Pakistan, initiatives were taken to construct the martyr Minar afresh. now conjointly the development was hurriedly completed in step with the short style of 1963. In 1976 a brand new style was approved, however it absolutely was not enforced. afterwards in 1983, the martyr Minar was swollen to its gift dimensions.


The martyr Minar, with all its subject field and sculptural imperfections, still stands as a logo of the linguistic and nationalistic struggle of Bangladeshis.