Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the government is actively engaging in efforts to further elevate the status of the Bangla language and Bengali culture in the international sphere.
She made the remarks while virtually attending the presentation ceremony of Ekushey Padak, the second-highest civilian award in Bangladesh, on Sunday, reports bdnews24.com.
"We will continue our efforts to establish our language, literature and culture at the international level. I believe we will succeed in that endeavour as well. ”
Highlighting the commemoration of February 21 as International Mother Language Day, Hasina added,
"This is something to which we all need to pay special attention. February 21 is not just for us. We must strive to honour those who loved their mother tongue and sacrificed their lives for it while finding and preserving any lost mother tongues," she said.
The Awami League chief also paid tribute to the martyrs of the Language Movement in 1952 and vowed not to let sacrifices go in vain.
"Everything we have been able to achieve is through great sacrifice. That is what Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman used to say and even in his writings, he noted that great sacrifices are required for great achievements.”
Hasina also stressed the need to uphold the values of the country's independence struggle, the path to which was paved by the Language Movement.
Lamenting the efforts by certain quarters to distort history after the assassination of her father Bangabandhu in 1975, she said, “The contribution of Bangabandhu in the Language Movement and the great Liberation War was erased. But no one can erase the truth."
Hasina underscored the role of the Awami League in preventing the distortion of history and added, "The declaration of February 21 as Martyrs' Day was also first made in 1956 when the Awami League formed the government."
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, on behalf of Hasina, handed over the award to the winners and their representatives at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
Congratulating the winners of the Ekushey Padak, she said, “Bangladesh is moving forward and will continue to do so. These distinguished people are leading the way. Their contributions in various fields are the reason for our progress.”
According to BSS, the government announced on February 3 the names of 24 eminent persons for the "Ekushey Padak-2022" for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
This year, two persons got the padak in the Language Movement category, four in the Liberation War, seven in Shilpakala (art, music and dance), two in Social Service, two in Language and Literature, four in Research and one each in Journalism, Science and Technology, and education.
Mostafa M A Matin (posthumous) and Mirza Tofazzal Hossain Mukul (posthumous) received the padak in the field of Language Movement.
Valiant freedom fighter Alhaj Principal Md Matiur Rahman, Syed Moazzem Ali (posthumous), QABM Rahman and Amzad Ali Khandaker got the padak in the Liberation War category.
Jinat Barkatullah received the padak for dance while Nazrul Islam Babu (posthumous), Iqbal Ahmed and Mahmudur Rahman Benu for music, and Khaled Mahmud Khan (posthumous), Afzal Hossain and Masum Aziz for acting.
MA Malek got the padak for journalism while Md Anawar Hossain in science and technology and Professor Dr Gautam Buddha Das in education.
Besides, SM Abraham Lincoln and Sangharaj Dr Gyanshree Mahathero got the padak in the social service category. Poet Kamal Chowdhury and Jharna Das Purkayastha received the padak in language and literature category.
On the other hand, Dr Md Abdus Sattar Mandal, Dr Md Enamul Haque (team leader), Dr Shahanaz Sultana (team) and Dr Jannatul Ferdous (team) got the padak in research category.