Full name: Abdus Salam
Birth Date: November 27, 1925
Birth Place: Salam Nagar, Daganbhuiyan, Feni
Died: April 7, 1952
Death Place: Dhaka Medical College
Education: Daganbhuiyan Kemal Ataturk High School
Occupation: Record Keeper, Language Fighter
Spouse (s): Not Married
Religion: Islam
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Abdus Salam is a language martyr of Bangladesh who is well respected around the country. He is also known as Shaheed Abdus Salam. Salam took part in the historical Bengali Language Movement demonstration of erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh) on February 21, 1952. He was shot by the Pakistani police along with Abul Barkat, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, and Abdul Jabbar during the movement and died on April 7, 1952.
Salam Early Life:
Abdus Salam was born on November 27, 1925, at the village Laxmanpur (later renamed ‘Salam Nagar’), Daganbhuiyan, Feni, East Bengal (now Bangladesh). Munshi Abdul Fazel Miah was his father and mother Daulater Nesa. His father joined the Second World War. He completed primary education at Krishnarampur Primary School.
Then joined the Matubhuiyan Kalimullah Minor School and the Daganbhuiyan Kemal Ataturk High School. He dropped out of education in class 10 due to financial constraints.
Salam Career:
After dropping out, Abdus Salam went to Kolkata looking for a job where he stayed with his cousin and her husband and worked in the port of Kolkata. He moved to Dhaka in 1947 and got a job as a record keeper at the department of industries. Salam got government accommodation in Palasi Barrack at Azimpur.
Bengali Langauge Movement:
On February 21, 1952, Abdus Salam participated in the student demonstration demanding Bengali will be the state language of Pakistan despite section 144 (curfew) at the Dhaka University campus. During the movement, police opened fire and he was shot by other demonstrators. Salam was admitted to the Dhaka Medical College where he died on April 7, 1952, from his injuries. He was buried in Azimpur graveyard, Old Dhaka.
UNESCO declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day as he along with other three demonstrators sacrifice their life.
Legacy:
Abdus Salam was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2000 for his outstanding contribution to the Language Movement of 1952. In the same year, his own village Laxmanpur was renamed ‘Salam Nagar’ by the villagers. Feni District Stadium was named after his name as Language Martyr Salam Stadium.