Shaheed Day

Shaheed Day

February 21

Shaheed or Shahid Day is a national day of mourning in Bangladesh. Before becoming an autonomous country in 1971 ( see Bangladesh Independence Day), this land had been East Pakistan ever since all of India gained independence from Britain in 1947. As East Pakistan, the country was poorer and less powerful than West Pakistan (now Pakistan), where the central government was. East Pakistan paid its taxes to West Pakistan, which gave East Pakistan little economic support in return. In addition, West Pakistan wanted to make its language, Urdu, the only official language of both Pakistans. Most of the people in East Pakistan spoke Bengali (some of the Indian region of Bengal became East Pakistan in 1947), and they were strongly opposed to the restriction of the use of their language in government and commerce.
In 1952 university students held protests which erupted in violence. Lives were lost, and as a memorial, people form a procession from the Azimpur graveyard on February 21 each year.

CONTACTS:
Embassy of Bangladesh
3510 International Dr. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-244-0183; fax: 202-244-2771
www.bangladoot.org

SOURCES:
AnnivHol-2000, p. 30

Celebration day: Feb 21