RAJSHAHI, February 21, (V7N) — Members of the Rajshahi College Reporters Unity (RCRU) observed Great Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day today by paying floral tributes at the site recognized by historians as the country’s first-ever Shaheed Minar.

At approximately 10:00 AM, a delegation led by RCRU President Abu Sayeed Roni placed wreaths at the monument located in front of the Bir Shrestha Noor Mohammad Sheikh Bhaban at Rajshahi College Muslim Hostel. The event was graced by the organization's chief patron and Rajshahi College Principal, Professor Dr. Md. Ibrahim Ali, alongside Vice Principal Professor Abu Md. Yunus Ali and other senior faculty members.

The Shaheed Minar at Rajshahi College holds significant historical weight. On the evening of February 21, 1952, immediately after news of the police firing in Dhaka reached Rajshahi, local student leaders constructed this monument using mud and bricks between midnight and 1:00 AM. Although it was demolished by the police and Muslim League supporters the following morning, it remains a symbol of the immediate regional response to the Language Movement.

During the ceremony, speakers highlighted the long-standing demand for formal state recognition of this structure as the first Shaheed Minar built in Bangladesh. Despite its historical precedence, official recognition remains pending, a cause that local language veterans and historians have championed for decades.

RCRU General Secretary Abdul Alim, Office Secretary Shahadat Hossain, and other members of the executive committee were present during the tribute, reaffirming the student journalists' commitment to preserving the history of the Language Movement.