On the occasion of the historic 21st February and International Mother Language Day 2013, Youth Voice of Bangladesh officially began its activities. On this day, Thursday, February 21, vibrant rallies and wreath-laying ceremonies were held in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Altab Ali Park in London, UK, to commemorate the martyrs.

📍In Dhaka, from early morning, members of Youth Voice gathered at the TSC area of Dhaka University. From there, nearly a thousand members marched barefoot in a large rally through Nilkhet and Palashi intersections, heading towards the Central Shaheed Minar. The rally, singing the song “Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano Ekushhe February” (“The 21st of February, stained with my brother’s blood”), arrived at the Shaheed Minar, where they paid tribute to the language martyrs by laying floral wreaths.

In response to journalists’ questions at the Shaheed Minar, the Chairman of Youth Voice, Barrister Tareque Akbar Khondakar, said, “Youth Voice is a non-political, social, and humanitarian organization that encourages the younger generation to work for the welfare of the country. We remember the sacrifices of the language martyrs and are inspired by their ideals to move forward.”

The rally saw spontaneous participation from members of Youth Voice from various educational institutions, including Dhaka University, BUET, Dhaka Medical College, Jagannath University, Titumir College, and Tejgaon College.

📍 In Chittagong, Youth Voice organized a wreath-laying ceremony and rally to honor the language martyrs, with participation from young people from various colleges and universities.

📍 In the United Kingdom, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, members of Youth Voice of Bangladesh (UK) laid floral wreaths at the Shaheed Minar located in Altab Ali Park, London. A brief discussion was held there, where speakers highlighted the dignity of the Bengali language, the sacrifices of the martyrs, and the importance of mother languages in the global context.