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5 years ago

Bangladesh unveils first Shaheed Minar in Netherlands

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The deputy mayor of The Hague has unveiled the first-ever Shaheed Minar in the Netherlands and said the language monument in the Zuider Park will enhance the dignity of the famous Dutch city.

Saskia Bruines said this will also “remain as ever inspiration for the future generations to preserve and promote the mother tongue”.

She inaugurated the first-ever in the Netherlands with Bangladesh Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal on Thursday, February 21, reportsbdnews24.com.

This day in 1952, police shot dead several persons who were protesting against the then Pakistan government’s decision to impose Urdu as the sole state language on the people of erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.

The UNESCO in 1999 had declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day.

The language monument is located in the heritage park of The Hague, where a piece of land has been allocated by The Hague Municipality.

The Bangladesh government financed the construction while The Hague Municipality funded the design of the monument as part of a joint collaboration between Bangladesh and the Netherlands to promote culture of peace and multilingualism.

The inauguration programme began with the observance of a minute’s silence in memory of the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement and those who lost their lives in a fire in Old Dhaka on Wednesday night on the eve of Ekushey, the embassy said in a statement.

Deputy Mayor Bruines congratulated both Bangladesh embassy and The Hague Municipality on the successful completion of the project.

She said the Netherlands have 20 languages and all of them are important. “Every language should be heard likewise every person is seen in society.”

Ambassador Belal paid tribute to the language martyrs and expressed gratitude to The Hague municipal authorities for their support and cooperation for the construction of the Shaheed Minar.

Rabin Baldewsingh, former deputy mayor of the Hague, who played a key role in allocating the land for the Shaheed Minar, said multilingualism and multi-culturalism encouraged them to have the International Language Monument in The Hague.

Ambassadors of India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Kenya, Yemen, Vietnam, high officials of the foreign ministry of the Netherlands, members of The Hague-based diplomatic corps and of the Bangladeshi community living in the Netherlands attended the function.

They also placed floral wreaths at the newly built Shaheed Minar.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque laid the foundation stone of this monument on Feb 19, 2017.

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