The Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka city is the ultimate symbol of our glorious Language Movement, which paved the way for our liberation movement. However, it is shameful that we have not been able to preserve the sanctity of this place. The monument lies uncared for almost all the year round. People are often found sitting around the monument as there is no boundary and sometimes even on the dais. It has also become a business place for various street vendors. Though the notification on rules and regulation has been posted, no one bothers to obey those. On-duty police officers also are least bothered about preventing violation of the rules. The authorities concerned only seem to care about the beautification of the place before February 21 every year. If you look closely, you will find that the red circle of the Shaheed Minar has faded away for long. This should not be the way to show respect to our language martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of our mother tongue.
A memorial is not only a place of the past memory, but also a guide to the future of the nation. So, our Shaheed Minar should be preserved carefully and maintained properly. Have we been able to preserve Shaheed Minar the way France is persevering the Eiffel Tower? In my view, it is time to renovate the Shaheed Minar so that people from all over the country can come and know its historical background.
Md. Roqun Uddin,
Student of University of Dhaka, Dhaka,
roqunuddin721@gmail.com