Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid tribute to the Language Martyrs on behalf of the nation at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka just after midnight on February 21, 2026. He placed a floral wreath at the monument at 12:01 a.m., following the President’s homage. Cabinet members including Local Government Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, and other ministers also offered flowers in remembrance.

The Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin and other commissioners, the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as foreign ambassadors and heads of international organizations, followed with their tributes. Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman also paid respects. Later, the Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor, students, and war-wounded freedom fighters placed wreaths at the monument.

Thousands of citizens gathered around the Shaheed Minar from different parts of Dhaka, waiting in long lines to offer flowers once the official tributes concluded. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir remarked that after years of oppression, this year’s observance of Ekushey felt liberated.