Location: The University of Dhaka,Dhaka.
Designer, Architect and Sculptor: Hamidur Rahman.
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The Shaheed Minar is a national monument to commemorate them who were killed in the Language Movement demonstrations on 21 Februry, 1952 in Dhaka. The central Shahid Minar is situated in front of Dhaka Medical College in the campus of the University of Dhaka.
The enormous design includes half-circular columns to symbolize the mother with her fallen sons standing on the monument’s central dais and the red sun shining behind.
The history tracks back to February 21, 1952, dozens of students, political activists and some general people were killed when the Pakistani police force fired on Bengali protesters who were demanding equal rights to their mother tongue, Bangla. The massacre occurred near Dhaka Medical College in Dhaka. The first monument of temporary Shahid Minar was built on February 23,1952 by students, but it was soon demolished on February 26 by the Pakistani police force.
The Language Movement gained momentum and after a long struggle, Bangla was given equal status as Urdu. To commemorate the dead, the Shaheed Minar was designed and built by Hamidur Rahman, a Bangladeshi sculptor. The monument stood until the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, when it was destroyed completely during Operation Searchlight. After Bangladesh gained independence, it was rebuilt.
Today, the Shaheed Minar is the centre of cultural activities in Dhaka. Every year, the Language Movement is remembered at the monument. People in bare feet go to the monument and put flowers to show respect to the language martyrs.
