In the mid night past one minute of Ekushey, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid homage to the language martyrs on the occasion of Great Language Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day.
The military secretary Major General SM Salahuddin Islam placed floral wreaths of the President at the central Shaheed Minar. On the other hand, Major General Naqib Ahmed Chowdhury placed wreaths on behalf of the Prime Minister.
At that time Amar Ekushey's time-honored song was playing, 'Amar Bhaier Raktey Rangano Ekushey February’. It may be mentioned here that the President and the Prime Minister abstained from their physical presence due to Covid- 19 this year.
After paying their respects with flowers, the President and the Military Secretary to the Prime Minister stood in silence for a while and paid deep homage to the memory of the martyrs of the language movement. Then on behalf of the Awami League, five senior leaders led by the party's general secretary Obaidul Quader gave flowers. After them, Sergeant at Arms MM Naeem Rahman of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat placed flowers on behalf of Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.
Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed, Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Shaheen Iqbal placed floral wreaths at the Shaheed Minar. After them, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Police IGP Benazir Ahmed and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen paid tributes to language heroes.
Later, leaders of 14 parties including Awami League, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Fazle Nur Taposh and diplomats from different countries paid their respects.