Bangladeshi community observes International Mother Language Day

Bangladeshi community observes International Mother Language Day

A discussion session was held on Sunday (26 February), at the Bangladesh Association and Community Project, to mark International Mother Language Day.

Community leaders, children, men and women participated to recount the struggle to secure the right of Bangla as one of the state languages of the then Pakistan and pay respect to the language martyrs.

Mr Muhibur Rahman, Chairman of BACP, narrated the history of the language struggle.

The event was addressed among others by senior members of the community and conducted by the Secretary of BACP, Tariq Khandoker.

The students of the local Bangla school and Shahjala Academy mystified the audience with recital of poems and songs.

Background
When the Indian subcontinent achieved independence from British rule, Pakistan was created with two separate wings, East Pakistan making up about 70 per cent of Pakistan’s population and West Pakistan.

Bangla was the language in East Pakistan but the Pakistan government decreed that Urdu and only Urdu be the state language of Pakistan.

This enraged the East Pakistanis who demanded that Bangla should also be given the recognition of being one of the state languages. Police opened fire in a demonstration of students and other activists on 21st February, 1952, and the world saw the first martyrs for language.

Eventually, in 1956 the Pakistani government recognised Bangla as one of the official languages of Pakistan.

East Pakistan broke away from Pakistan to become Bangladesh in 1971. 21 February 21 is now recognised as the International Mother Language Day to promote the dissemination of mother tongue, not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural tradition throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.