Kolkata: A number of programmes were held in different parts of the state on Wednesday the Language Movement Day, which commemorates the beginning of a movement to protect Bengali language in erstwhile East Pakistan.
The day is termed simply as 'Ekush-e' (21st) in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, which share the same linguistic and cultural heritage.
Recognised as the 'International Mother Language Day' by the United Nations, the day was marked by morning processions, recitations, singing of songs of Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Islam and others.
At Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan, students from Bangladesh were joined by other pupils in processions in the campus followed by a cultural programme.
The Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh here organised a morning procession, offering flowers to the pictures of martyrs for the cause and also a cultural programme.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid her respects to the martyrs who laid down their lives demanding recognition of Bengali as official language instead of Urdu when they joined a protest at Dhaka University on this day in 1952.
"My highest respect to the language martyrs of Ekushe February. We must respect and love all languages," Banerjee said in a message.
The Chief Minister, who is on a visit to South Dinajpur district bordering Bangladesh, announced setting up of an university at Gangarampur while addressing a public meeting there to mark the day.
"Today is Bhasa Divas. To commemorate the day I am announcing the setting up of an university here, which is so close to the Bangladesh border," she said. Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said Bengal and Bangladesh should come close as the two share the same language and culture.
He was addressing a gathering to commemorate the International Mother Language Day. The function was organised jointly by the state Information and Cultural Affairs department and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Chatterjee said to show respect to the martyrs of the language movement, a monument has been built at Deshapriya Park at the behest of the Chief Minister.
Mala Roy, chairperson of the KMC, Debashis Kumar, Member Mayor-in-Council (Parks and Squares) and senior officials of Bangladesh Deputy High Commission were present at the function.
In the state Legislative Assembly, the MLAs paid respect to the martyrs of the language movement by observing a minute's silence.
At New Town, the residents organised a march from Nazrul Tirtha to Rabindra Tirtha to observe the occasion. Programmes to commemorate the day were held in all the 341 blocks in the state. There were seminars, symposia , cultural programmes and poetry recitation sessions to mark the occasion.