Rajshahi residents have inaugurated a new Shaheed Minar to honor the language heroes on Language Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day. The long-awaited monument, constructed by Rajshahi City Corporation, was opened at midnight with Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu and local officials paying respects to the language martyrs. The public can now visit and pay their respects at the newly accessible Shaheed Minar.
This year marked the first time that city residents could collectively honor the language martyrs at a Shaheed Minar. Previously, tributes were paid separately at Shaheed Minars located in Bhubanmohan Park, Rajshahi College, and Rajshahi University. The permanent Shaheed Minar, covering nearly one acre of land at Sonadighi Mor, was constructed at a cost of around Tk 7.80 crore by the Rajshahi District Council. The design of the structure follows the architectural style of the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
The foundation stone for the Shaheed Minar was laid on December 16, 2020, by language movement veteran Golam Arif Tipu under the city corporation’s supervision. The unveiling of the Shaheed Minar has generated excitement among residents, offering a central place for floral tributes from different institutions.
Kamrul Islam, a fourth-year student at Rajshahi College, expressed the significance of the new monument, emphasizing the unity it fosters among people from various institutions. Hasan Mehdi, another resident, also shared his joy in having a Shaheed Minar within the city, eliminating the need to visit different institutional Shaheed Minars on International Mother Language Day.
Rajshahi District Council Administrator Mohammad Habibur Rahman highlighted that the Shaheed Minar was opened without a formal inauguration ceremony, allowing the public to offer floral tributes from the early hours of February 21 onwards. This central location will now serve as a common ground for paying respects to the language martyrs.