DHAKA: The nation is all set to pay homage to the martyrs of the language movement one minute past midnight Thursday amid heightened security at and around the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka and elsewhere of the country on the occasion of Amar Ekushey.

The President, Abdul Hamid, will first place flowers at the Central Shaheed Minar followed by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, other ministers, high commissioners, ambassadors and the chiefs of the foreign missions.

They will also observe there in silence for a minute in honour of the language heroes.

On this day in 1952, students and people from all strata of society took to the streets in Dhaka to protest the then Pakistan government`s refusal to recognise Bangla as one of the state languages and its attempt to impose Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan.

Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Shafiur, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil sacrificed their lives to establish Bangla as a state language of the then Pakistan.

The day has been being observed as the Language Martyrs Day since a UNESCO declaration on November 17, 1999.

The day is a public holiday. The national flag will fly at half-mast at all government, autonomous and private buildings.

BDST: 1522 HRS, FEB 20, 2014