FEBRUARY 21 is a glorious day in our history due to a tragedy of martyred heroes like Rafiq, Salam, Barkat, Jabbar and others who sacrificed their lives for the cause of safeguarding our mother toungue.
The National Language Movement was built on a spirit to defend the rights to write in one's mother language. The date corresponds to the exact day in 1952 when students from Dhaka University, erstwhile Jagannath College, and Dhaka Medical College & Hospital demonstrating for the recognition of Bengali as one of the two official languages of East Pakistan - were brutally shot dead by the police.
Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing a nation's tangible or intangible heritage. Therefore, any move promoting the dissemination of mother tongues will encourage linguistic diversity as well as multilingual education alongside creating public awareness for linguistic and cultural traditions.
Since its recognition by UNESCO in 1999, February 21 has been globally observed as The International Mother Language Day. Acquiring such a renewed significance in the global sphere helps to continue both pride and the message within.
Every year, Bangladesh commemorates the day paying tribute to the language martyrs. Besides laying down flowers to Dhaka's Central Shaheed Minar and its replicas nationwide, people organise social gatherings where Bengali language is discussed and honoured. With a refurbished zeal, citizens fill the roads with colourful alpona, eat special meals and listen to songs like Amar Bhaiyer Rakte Rangano - "coloured in the blood of my brother".
S.M. Abdullah Al-Mamun
Department of International Relations
Rajshahi University
