The United Nations (UN) has observed the International Mother Language Day, for the first time, at its headquarters in New York, USA, on Tuesday, adding a new value to the special day being observed worldwide since 2000 after UNESCO’s formal announcement a year earlier.
The day corresponds to the historic February 21, 1952 when students in Bangladesh waged a strong protest against then Pakistani attempts to undermine language ‘Bangla’ and impose Pakistan’s ‘Urdu’ language as mandatory national language for both Urdu-speaking and non-Urdu speaking people living in the West Pakistan and the East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
Hundreds of Bengali-speaking people, mostly young and students, took to the streets in Dhaka city to denounce the order and demanded the recognition of Bangla as one of the two national languages of Pakistan, but were brutally shot dead by police near the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
Bangladesh as the language movement day, better known as ‘Ekushey February’, while the UNESCO found it later as the most befitting example of great sacrifice for protecting mother langue anywhere in the world. The Day finally turned the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) by UNESCO on November 17, 1999.
According to a press release, permanent missions of Hungary, Mauritius, Peru, Vanuatu, Bangladesh, UN Headquarters, UNESCO New York Office and Office of New York City Mayor together organized the event to observe the day in due fervor. The event was divided in two separate programmes- discussion and a cultural soiree- at the UN headquarters.
Speaking on the occasion, the speakers said language and cultural
diversity should be considered as the key driving force behind the success of current endeavors for sustainable development goals within 2030. This is why, they said, every language- be it small or big- should be protected, preserved and incentivized to build a bridge between local communities and the global top.
Bangladesh Ambassador Masud Bin Momen said the Ekushey February in
A programme was organized at the House of Commons in London yesterday on the occasion of the Martyrs Day and the International Mother Language Day.
British Labour Party MP Sir Joseph Alan Meale and an organisation named “Pride of Mother Tongue-UK” arranged the programme, according to a message received here.
Sir Alan Meale, MP, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, MP, a granddaughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Md. Nazmul Quaunine spoke at the function.
Children of Bangladesh community members also spoke in the programme, the message said.
Hungarian Permanent Representative Katalin Annamaria Bogyay said Hungary has 13 languages and her country has taken all out measures to protect and preserve all of those languages equally.
She said the cultural heritage and history of a nation could be preserved through the proper nourishment of languages it has.
Mauritius representative Jagdish Dharamchand Koojul said mother language teaches every citizen about solidarity and tolerance towards others. He expressed his deep respect for the language veterans of Ekushey February and said the observance of IMLD on February 21 resembles the ‘unity among diversity’ worldwide.
Peru’s ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra observed that the preservation of mother language should be equaled to the protection of the root of a nation.
Vanuatu, a small Pacific island state west to Fiji, boasts with 150 local languages. Its Representative to United Nations Odo Tevi said language pluralism has always been a key factor for success in democracies. A respectful recognition to each other’s language and culture could help building a wise and progressive society, he added.
Officials and Bangladesh missions and Bangladeshi expatriates living in New York, Canberra and Deputy High Commission in Mumbai and Kolkata paid homage to the martyrs of the Language Movement in 1952 with observance at the beginning of the day’s programme.
Different socio economic organizations, political parties and eminent personalities also paid tributes to the martyrs of the language heroes and took part in the discussion highlighting the significant of the 21st February that helped to establish the right of Bangla-speaking people as the state language Bangladesh.
Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day were observed at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York in a befitting manner.
On the occasion, permanent representative of the mission Masud Bin Momen placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar temporally set up at the mission at one minute past on February 21, a press release of the mission said yesterday.
Bangladesh expatriates in the USA paid their deep homage to the martyrs of the historic language movement by placing floral wreaths at the Shaheed Minar.
Marking the day, a discussion also was held at the mission.
Besides, the Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day were observed at Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra in a befitting manner.
The representatives of the respective missions commemorated the martyrs who dedicated their lives in protecting the mother language and paid tributes to them particularly Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar, Shafiur and others for their supreme sacrifice in the movement.
They also remembered the extra ordinary contribution of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in organizing the language movement from 1948.
Meanwhile, the deputy high commissions in Kolkata and Mumbai also chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day by paying homage to the martyrs of the language movement in 1952 at the Shaheed Minar.
Bangladesh missions in Paris and Singapore City have also observed ‘Ekushey February’ and the International Mother Language Day on Tuesday.
According to messages received here on Wednesday, Bangladesh embassies in the major international cities observed the day in due fervor and highlighted the importance of mother languages in political, social, cultural, economic and development contexts in modern world.
Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC not only observed the day but also urged the United Nations (UN) to make ‘Bangla’ as one of its official languages. It also urged the UNESCO to take all out measures to protect and preserve Bangla, a language of more than 250 million people around the world.
The day’s programme began paying glowing tributes to the language heroes who made supreme sacrifice to establish Bangla as the state language of erstwhile Pakistan in 1952.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the U.S.A Mohammad Ziauddin placed wreaths at the altar of Shaheed Minar on the embassy premises. Embassy officials, staff, family members and expatriate Bangladeshi also joined him.
Ziauddin in his remarks said mother language was the most natural means to assert one’s identity. He said the dissemination of mother languages encourages linguistic diversity and multilingual education throughout the world.
“In fact, respect for each other’s language, inspires international solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue,” he added.
Amra Bangalee Foundation (ABF), a USA-based organization of Bangladeshi community, yesterday observed the “Amar Ekushey” and International Mother Language Day with due respect and solemnity.
Marking the day, they organized a programme in front of White House in association of American-Bangladeshi Interest Group, Virginia and Maryland Awami Family.
They paid deep homage to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement by placing wreaths at a replica of Shaheed Minar.
A discussion was also held marking the day. Foundation President Jibak Barua, Maryland Awami League (AL) unit president Sheikh Selim, Virginia AL unit acting president AFM Anwarul Azim, organizing secretary Osman Khan, Washington Jubo League general secretary Zahid Hossain, vice president Rupak Barua, Chhatra League Virginia DC unit general secretary Mir Rafiqul Islam, ABF leaders Dewan Arshad Ali Bijoy, Aman Ullha, Md Altaf Hossain, Alauddin Ahmed and Mostafizur Rahman, among others, addressed the discussion while ABF general secretary Dastagir Jahangir moderate it.
Referring to the UNESCO’s proclamation of the International Mother Language Day and the acknowledgement of the Day in its “Culture of Peace” resolution in 2008, he said Bangladesh as the pioneer of the resolution has a sacred obligation not only to protect Bangla but also other languages.
Later, cultural troupes from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Guyana and Ghana, India, Sri Lanka, Paraguay, Mexico, Peru and Bosnia presented songs and dances.
Diplomats from different embassies, political leaders, journalists, representatives of social and cultural bodies and expatriate Bangladeshi attended the function.
Bangladesh Embassy in Paris commemorated the ‘Shaheed Dibosh’ and International Mother Language Day-2017 too. Identical programme was also organised at the UNESCO Headquarters with Bangladeshi community in France participating.
The programme began at 7:30am in the morning with the hoisting of the national flag at half-mast at the Chancery premise. A make-shift Shaheed Minar was erected on the Embassy premise where expatriate Bangladeshi and the embassy officials placed floral wreaths.
These were followed by recitation from holy books and observance of one minute silence showing respect to all the martyrs of the Language Movement in 1952. Messages given by President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as well as the Foreign Minister and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs were read out.
A good number of expatriate Bangladeshis, including freedom fighters, politicians, media personalities, socio-cultural activists and other community members, attended the Embassy event. Bangladesh Ambassador to France M. Shahidul Islam led the event.
UNESCO, in collaboration with the Permanent Delegate of Bangladesh and International Organization of Francophone (OIF) organized a seminar titled “Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education” in Paris.
Director General of UNESCO Ms. Irina Bokova appreciated the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and termed Bangladesh as “a champion partner of UNESCO’ in the celebration of the International Mother Language Day.
She mentioned that Bangladesh-UNESCO collaboration led to the establishment of the International Mother Language Institute as a UNESCO category 2 Centre in Dhaka. She also appreciated Jaago Foundation, an NGO from Bangladesh, which received the UNESCO-King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize 2016 for its pioneering role for using ICT in education.
A number of Bangladeshi socio-cultural and political organizations based in Paris also held different programmes that include book fair, cultural events and placing of floral wreaths at temporary Shaheed Minars.
In Singapore, Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day was observed with due solemnity at Bangladesh High Commission premises. The programme was attended by over 300 guests and their families.
