Home / Local news / Martyrs’ Day 2016 observed at Altab Ali Park

Martyrs’ Day 2016 observed at Altab Ali Park

43By Ansar Ahmed Ullah ::

The UK Kendrio Shaheed Minar Committee in partnership with the Tower Hamlets Council organised a special midnight memorial service at Altab Ali Park to mark both Martyrs Day & the International Mother Language Day on Saturday,
February 20.

The United Nations’ (UN) International Mother Language Day annually celebrates language diversity worldwide on February 21. It remembers the killing of a number of students on February 21, 1952, who campaigned for  official use of their mother language, Bengali, in Bangladesh.

This day is also known as Martyrs’ Day, a day where those who gave up their
lives for their language are remembered.  The monument Shahid Minar in Altab
Ali Park is dedicated to these martyrs.

Over the past fifteen years, Tower Hamlets Council has been working in association with the Kendrio Shaheed Minar Committee to organise this remembrance event, which takes place at midnight on Saturday, February 20 in Altab Ali Park.

The event consisted of the commemorative laying of flowers on the Martyrs’ Monument. Community organisations and families started to gather from approximately 11pm on and VIPs arrived from approximately 11.30pm. VIPs including Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs, Speaker of the Council, Bangladesh High
Commissioner Md Abdul Hannan placed their flowers first followed by political parties, community and cultural organisations.