Venue
University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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International Mother Language Day (Shaheed Dibosh) guide
Barefoot at the Central Shaheed Minar.
In short
Shaheed Dibosh on 21 February, a Sunday in 2027, suits visitors who want to understand why language matters so deeply in Bangladesh. Tributes begin at 12:01 am, so the day starts on the night of 20 February at the Central Shaheed Minar. People arrive barefoot with flowers, so come quietly and keep a respectful manner.
Shaheed Dibosh, Martyrs' Day, is Bangladesh's day of mourning for the students shot dead in Dhaka in 1952 while demanding recognition for the Bengali language. Since 2000 the same date has also been International Mother Language Day, observed by UNESCO members around the world as a day for every language.
In Dhaka the day belongs to the Central Shaheed Minar, the white columns beside Dhaka Medical College on the university campus. People arrive barefoot, carrying flowers, from the first minute of the date until well into the morning.
It is a solemn occasion, though not a gloomy one. Families bring children, alpana patterns are painted on the roads, and the Bangla Academy's book fair hums nearby all month. For anyone curious about what makes Bangladesh tick, few days explain more.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Venue: Central Shaheed Minar
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, National Day
Nearest airport: Dhaka (DAC) · 43 flight routes
Currency: Taka (৳ BDT)
Time zone: UTC+6, no daylight saving
Language: Bengali (Bangla)
Map
Close to the venue
- Central Shaheed Minar (কেন্দ্রীয় শহীদ মিনার) Attraction · 0 m
- Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) (টিএসসি) Attraction · 450 m
- Curzon Hall (কার্জন হল) Attraction · 540 m
- Dhakeshwari Temple (Dhakeshwari National Temple) Attraction · 850 m
- Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka Hotel · 2.7 km
- Hotel Nandini Hotel · 3.5 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Going barefoot and bringing flowers
Tribute at the Minar is paid barefoot. Wear shoes you can slip off easily and carry them in a small cloth bag, or leave them with a friend outside the line. A single flower or a small bunch is the norm for individuals; large wreaths come from organisations.
Black and white clothing is customary. Many people wear exactly that combination, and visitors who follow suit blend in quietly.
Items not allowed near the monument
In 2026 police asked visitors not to carry sharp objects, flammable materials or anything resembling explosives. Keep bags small or leave them behind. Security in 2026 involved about 15,000 police, including SWAT and bomb disposal teams on standby, so expect checks at the entry point.
Do not climb onto the plinth or step on the alpana artwork around the monument.
Photography and moving on at the altar
Photographs from the queue and the surrounding roads are fine. At the altar itself, stop shooting, place your flowers and move on: police ask everyone to leave promptly so the line keeps flowing. Keep voices low near the altar, especially in the first hours after midnight. If you want a clear photograph of the flowers, come back later in the day when the queue has gone and the wreaths are piled high.
Staying safe in the university area at night
Crowds on the night are good-natured, but the campus is dark between lit areas and the walk out can be long. Go in a group, keep your phone charged and save the emergency number 999. Women travelling alone should use a ride-hailing car once they leave the cordon. Pick a pick-up point a few streets from the exit, because drivers cannot reach the closed roads.
What happens on the day
- Days before
The monument is prepared
Freshly painted white, with a red sun behind it and murals about the language movement around the site.
- Evening of 20 February
Diversions
Police divert traffic around the campus from the evening before.
- 00:01
First wreaths
The tributes begin and carry on through the night.
- 06:30
Probhat Pheri
The dawn procession of schools, offices and families, walking barefoot with wreaths.
- Morning
Flowers and song
Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano is sung across the city.
Etiquette and dress
Bare feet
People take off their shoes and walk barefoot to the monument.
Dress
Black and white clothing are the signs of mourning.
Keep moving
Police ask everyone to leave promptly after laying flowers; follow the stewards' route.
The midnight tribute and the dawn Probhat Pheri
Shape the visit around two moments. The first is midnight, when the wreath-laying opens and the queues start to move. The second is the Probhat Pheri at 6:30 am, the dawn procession of schools, offices and families. If you can manage only one, choose the morning: the light is softer, the lines move and the monument is already covered in flowers.
February is also the month of the Ekushey Book Fair, run by the Bangla Academy for the whole month. Give yourself a spare afternoon to walk the stalls a short way from the Minar.
The 1952 Language Movement and its martyrs
In 1947 an education summit in Karachi proposed Urdu as Pakistan's sole state language, which alarmed the Bengali majority in the east. On 21 February 1952 students at the University of Dhaka defied a ban on gatherings. Near the provincial assembly, police opened fire and several young men died.
Students raised a makeshift memorial two days later; police tore it down on 26 February. The present monument, designed by Hamidur Rahman with Novera Ahmed, opened in 1963. The Pakistan Army wrecked its columns on the night of 25 March 1971, and it was rebuilt the following year. It stands 14 metres high.
The international story began in Vancouver. Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam, two Bengalis living there, wrote to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 1998 suggesting a day for mother languages, and UNESCO proclaimed 21 February in November 1999. That is why you may see people at the Minar carrying letters in many alphabets. Black and white clothing, bare feet and flowers are the signs of mourning; the alpana painted on the roads and the book fair are the signs of pride.
Getting there
Flying in
International flights land at Hazrat Shahjalal International (DAC) at Kurmitola, about 17 km north of the centre. Direct routes include Kolkata to Dhaka, Bangkok to Dhaka, Dubai to Dhaka and London to Dhaka. Land in daylight the day before.
By metro
In daytime, Metro Line 6 to Dhaka University station, then a short walk. The metro does not run through the night.
The route in
In 2026 visitors entered only from Palashi Mor via the Jagannath Hall crossing and left through the Ramna junction towards Doel Chattar or Chankharpul. The walk from Palashi can take a long time after midnight.
Where to stay during the festival
Stay within walking distance of the Central Shaheed Minar, near Shahbag or Motijheel; cars and rickshaws struggle near the university through the night. Gulshan and Banani are comfortable, but you depend on diverted traffic.
Buy your flowers the evening before.
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Weather and what to pack
Late February in Dhaka is warm and dry. February averages a high of 28.3°C and a low of 16.6°C, with rain on about two days (1991-2020 normals).
The small hours are the coolest part of the day; bring a light layer for the midnight queue.
Worth packing
- Black or white clothes
- Flowers, bought the evening before
- Slip-on shoes, since you walk barefoot at the monument
- A light layer for the night
Flights to Dhaka for International Mother Language Day (Shaheed Dibosh)
The busiest routes into Dhaka (DAC).
Car hire in Dhaka
Private car with driver to International Mother Language Day (Shaheed Dibosh)
Door to door from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) to Central Shaheed Minar, with stops where you like.
- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) → Central Shaheed Minar
- from $28.00 per day
Restaurants and food in Dhaka
Places to eat in Dhaka before or after the celebrations.
Featured
5.0 (1 review)
Chilekotha Restaurant
House 16, Road 4, Block F. Banani Chairmanbari Moshjid Road. Beside Banani Police Station Dhaka, 1213
Cuisine:BengaliBangla-Chinese
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
Featured
5.0 (1 review)
Sky Pool Restaurant
15th Floor, Six Seasons Hotel, House 19, Road 96, Gulshan 2, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Cuisine:InternationalBuffet
- Dine-in
- Buffet
- Outdoor seating
Featured
Picasso Restaurant
Level 12-13 & Rooftop, Rahman Regnum Center, 191/B Gulshan Link Road, Tejgaon, Dhaka 1208, Bangladesh
Cuisine:ContinentalChinese
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
5.0 (1 review)
Kathbadam Restaurant
Dasura Tower (2nd Floor), Mirpur Road, opposite Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka 1216
Cuisine:BangladeshiChinese
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
5.0 (1 review)
Real Thai Sky Cafe
Khan Tower (Level 13-14), Plot 14 & 16, Sonargaon Janapath, Sector 11, Uttara, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh
Cuisine:ThaiContinental
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
Rozak Rooftop Restaurant
Road 11, Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Cuisine:BengaliSteaks
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
5.0 (1 review)
3.0 (1 review)
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Prices & payment
Yes, anyone may join the queue and lay flowers. Visitors from abroad are welcomed, especially on a day that honours every mother tongue. Follow the line, take your shoes off and leave the way the stewards point.
General
Yes. Shaheed Dibosh is a national holiday, so government offices, banks and schools close. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday, a working day in Bangladesh, so the closure is felt across the city.
It rises 14 metres. Renovations in the 1980s extended the site into a square, which gives the crowds room to gather in front of the columns on the night.
The best-known names are Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat and Abdul Jabbar, killed when police fired on protesters near the provincial assembly. They were students, university staff and activists, and the day is kept in their memory.
A dawn walk to the monument, traditionally barefoot and often silent. Institutions and neighbourhoods organise their own.
Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano, a lament for the blood of the martyrs. You will hear it in the processions and at the cultural programmes held across the city.
Yes. Replicas of the Shaheed Minar stand in towns across Bangladesh, and people lay flowers at them in the same way. Bengali speakers in India and elsewhere also observe it.
The 2026 theme focused on young people and multilingual education. A new theme is set for each year and published ahead of 21 February, so check before you go if you plan to attend talks.
Timing & weather
UNESCO proclaimed the day on 17 November 1999, after Bangladesh put forward the proposal, and it was first marked worldwide in 2000. The UN General Assembly backed it in 2002.
Booking
The Bangla Academy's book fair runs for all of February in Dhaka and is one of the biggest literary events in the country. It sits close to the Minar, so many visitors combine the two.