The city woke up to the eternal melody as dawn broke, echoing the timeless tune. The air was filled with the haunting refrain, “In my brother’s blood-stained twenty-first of February…” As the night transitioned into day, Jahid, a tea vendor near the Shaheed Minar, hummed along, pondering, “How can I forget…” It was Friday, the 21st of February, when citizens gathered at the Shaheed Minar to pay homage to the immortal melody of Ekushey.
Emotional Pilgrimage to Shaheed Minar
From the early hours of the morning, people flocked to the central Shaheed Minar, offering flowers to honor the martyrs. The scene was a sea of mourners, some clutching flowers, others wearing the Bangladeshi flag on their heads. Among the crowd was a young man, Tahsin Alom, visiting the Shaheed Minar for the first time, visibly moved by the experience.
In an interview with Bangla News, Tahsin expressed his belief that the fall of autocracy has opened up new opportunities for Bangladesh. He emphasized the fusion of passion and consciousness from the twenty-first century, fueling his pilgrimage to the Shaheed Minar since dawn. Another young man, Taosib Hussain, echoed Tahsin’s sentiments, admitting that he had never seen the Shaheed Minar from such close quarters, underscoring the significance of his early morning visit.
Homage and Reflection
Alongside the common folk, various organizations lined the streets, offering floral tributes to the martyrs. The Dhaka University family organized a morning procession from the Shikha Chirantan Chottor, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Niayaz Ahmed Khan, with other university officials, department heads, and students in attendance. They reached the Shaheed Minar, where at 6:45 am, they laid their floral tributes, standing in solemn respect for the fallen heroes. Following the Vice-Chancellor, each faculty of Dhaka University paid their respects, offering floral tributes one by one.
At 8:00 am, a group from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) arrived at the Shaheed Minar to pay their respects. Led by senior secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, they laid a wreath at the monument, followed by leaders from the party’s south city branch. As the homage concluded, Rizvi highlighted the journey of the nation since the Language Movement, emphasizing the enduring struggle for freedom and democracy that has spanned decades.
Rizvi noted the sacrifices made and the challenges faced in their fight for independence, stressing the need for unity in the face of tyranny. He cited the example of Khaleda Zia, who, despite adversity, remained steadfast in her commitment to the people and the nation. When asked about upcoming elections, Rizvi emphasized the importance of national parliamentary elections, followed by local government elections under the new political leadership. He advocated for a swift electoral process to maintain democratic discourse and stability in the country.
As the morning unfolded, the atmosphere at the Shaheed Minar was one of reverence and reflection, commemorating the sacrifices of the past and renewing the commitment to a democratic future. With the sun rising on a new day, the eternal melody of Ekushey continued to resonate, a testament to the enduring spirit of the Bangladeshi people.
