On Great Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day (February 21), it is customary to visit Shaheed Minar barefoot and offer flowers to pay respect to language martyrs. But this rule is unduly violated sometimes. Some went to the altar of Shaheed Minar while paying their respects. Earlier such incidents happened outside Dhaka, but this time many people were seen walking around the central Shaheed Minar altar in the capital, which is indecent.
Calling the issue ‘lack of good education’, sociologists say that the people of this country have not yet learned to respect the language martyrs. Besides, paying tribute to the martyrs has now become a festival. It has become ostentatious, which is not desirable at all.
After the President and the Prime Minister paid their respects at Shaheed Minar in the first hour of Martyr’s Day on Wednesday (February 21), thousands of people went barefoot to the altar and paid their respects with flowers for the rest of the night. However, a different picture started in the morning. As the day progressed, contempt towards Shaheed Minar was noticed in the activities of some people. Soon after people from all walks of life paid their respects, they walked up to the altar in their shoes, walking around and taking pictures. Some like to take group pictures, some take selfies.
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A teacher named Abdur Jaher said, “The people of this country have not yet learned the language to honor the martyrs.” They do not know the status of Shaheed Minar. They show respect only for show. It is actually lack of education. I am ashamed as a teacher, I could not give my children good education.’
This teacher also said, ‘People come to the Shaheed Minar and laugh and laugh, it seems that February 11 is not a mourning, but a celebration. Now, however, the trend continues—people don’t know how to actually celebrate February 11. This clause needs to be changed. Otherwise, the status of the Bengali language will gradually sink into darkness.’
Several people went down shyly to ask why Shaheed stood on the altar of Minar in shoes. Again several people got angry. One of them is Shibli. He shouted and said, ‘Everybody got up so we got up too. And paying respect to the martyrs is over. There is no problem if you get up now. If you get here, you will not be fined in jail.’
A mother climbed the Shaheed Minar with her six-year-old son in her shoes. Why shoes on his feet, he laughed and went down after hearing the question. A few others like him, when asked the same question, went down and left the shoes without any reply. But most of them start walking in the opposite direction after hearing such questions.
Worker Noor Mohammad was taking a group photo on the altar of Shaheed Minar with his wife and children. When questioned, he said that the shoes were stolen when the Shaheed Minar was put down. So I got up with shoes.
However, many people lost their shoes on this day. Two of them are Siam and Tanni. They put flowers under the stairs and came up to Shaheed Minar and found no shoes. Besides, Jamuna Television staff reporter Faisal Mahmood, Barta 24 multimedia reporter Rakib Hasan, Jagannath University student Aftab, Kavi Nazrul College student Abir, Raihan, Abhi and many others have lost their shoes.
Regarding the loss of shoes, members of the law enforcement force said that they might be found if they look around well. Sometimes the pile of shoes accumulates and is removed by the officials. Many shoes are put away when they freeze. They also said that one or two unexpected incidents may have happened among so many people. It is not possible to protect people’s shoes. This would not have happened if everyone was responsible.
Professor Nehal Karim, former chairman of Dhaka University’s Department of Sociology, said, ‘People of Bangladesh overdo everything. Paying homage to the martyrs has now become a festival. It’s done showing off.’
