rizwanrahman

For the people of Bengal as well as language advocates and linguists worldwide, International Mother Language Day is a day of enormous importance. Every year on February 21st, the day is commemorated to encourage multilingualism and linguistic diversity, as well as to remember the sacrifices made by language activists in Bangladesh during the Bengali Language Movement.

In the early 1950s, a political and social movement called the Bengali Language Movement emerged in East Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh). It was a demonstration against Pakistan’s 1948 declaration of Urdu as its sole national language. The majority of East Pakistanis who spoke Bengali believed that the action was discriminatory and infringed their rights to their language and culture. They pushed for the inclusion of Bengali as one of Pakistan’s official languages.

The demonstrations started on February 21, 1952, when Dhaka University students and members of the general public demanded that Bengali be granted the same status as Urdu. In a violent response, the police opened fire on the demonstrators, killing several of them. In East Pakistan, the incident provoked a wave of protests and turmoil.

Together with language, cultural identity, and political independence were also important aspects of the Bengali Language Movement. Intellectuals, students, and political figures led the campaign, seeing language as a means of asserting their rights and seeking a greater say in the affairs of the country. Bengali was eventually recognised as one of Pakistan’s official languages in 1956 as a result of the struggle.

International Mother Language Day, which was established by the UN in 1999, honours the history of the Bengali Language Movement and the sacrifices made by its participants. The purpose of the day is to encourage linguistic and cultural diversity and to increase awareness of the value of mother tongues for social cohesion, education, and communication.

International Mother Language Day is a day of cultural celebration and national pride for the people of Bangladesh. Cultural activities, processions, and the laying of wreaths at the Shaheed Minar (Martyr’s Monument), which was erected in Dhaka in honour of the language martyrs who died on February 21, 1952, commemorate the day. The structure serves as a reminder of the significance of Bengali to Bangladeshis.

The Bengali language is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Bangladesh, as well as of the Indian subcontinent. With more than 250 million speakers, it is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. Some of the greatest works of literature, poetry, and music in the area were written in Bengali, a language with a long literary history that dates back to the ninth century.

The language of Bengali has also changed over time as a result of the shifting demands and aspirations of its speakers. Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, English, and other Indian subcontinental languages have all had an impact on it. This has given the language a distinctive grammar and syntax, as well as a rich and varied vocabulary.

In conclusion, International Mother Language Day is an important day for language advocates and linguists around the world, as well as for the people of Bangladesh. This day honours the diversity of languages and cultures and the sacrifices made by the Bangladeshi language martyrs. Bengali language activists and those who support linguistic diversity continue to be inspired by the Bengali Language Movement, which was a pivotal time in the history of the Indian subcontinent.