Today we pay homage to those who had laid down their lives on this very same day, back in 1952, in defence of our mother tongue, setting an example the likes of which the world has never witnessed. Their great sacrifice did not go in vain, as it was their call to the Bangalis to stand up for their right to speak their own language that had, in essence, inspired a whole series of events, including the education movement of 1962, the Six-Point movement for political and economic autonomy in 1966, the mass uprise against the autocratic Ayub regime in 1969 and, ultimately, to the establishment of an independent Bangladesh by way of a nine-month long Liberation War. And its uniqueness has even been recognised by the rest of the world through the UNESCO's declaration of Amar Ekushey as the International Mother Language Day.

To truly uphold the essence of what "Ekushey" stands for, however, we must continue to strive towards instilling the spirit of our martyrs in the task of establishing the cultural dispositions and democratic values that they had stood for. We must also strive to preserve the dignity of the Bangla language, as well as all other languages of this land, some of which are now in danger of extinction, making the need for the state and society in general to facilitate and encourage ethnic communities to read and write in their own language greater than ever before.

As we mourn our martyrs, let us remember that the best way to pay them their due respect is by establishing a society based on freedom, equality and rule of law, in the country borne out of their blood and sacrifice.