A call to all Bengalis throughout the world to observe the International Mother Language Day
A call to all Bengalis throughout the world to observe the International Mother Language Day and the Language Martyrs Day globally at the same time.
WHY IS THIS CALL?
Each year the Bengalis throughout the world observe the Language Martyrs Day on February 21st in commemoration of the martyrs of the Language Movement in 1952. This supreme sacrifice of our valiant heroes glorified the Bengali language and culture and established Bengali (Bangla) as the state language in the then East Pakistan before our independence in 1971. Additionally, this sacred sacrifice of the Martyrs had been able to implant a dream of an independent Bangladesh in the deep inside of the Bengalis’ heart. In 1971 the Freedom loving Bengalis fulfilled this dream by creating an independent Bangladesh through fighting a bloody liberation war by its gallant freedom fighters at the cost of millions of lives.
In recognition of the significance of the Language Martyrs Day UNESCO had proclaimed the 21st February as the International Mother Language Day, a symbolic day along with other UNESCO sponsored programs to protect the vulnerable languages and cultures of the world. The addition of this day in the UNESCO calendar thus created a new chapter in the history of the humankind. Today, in Bangladesh the Bengali culture is being threatened by the rise of religious fundamentalists and war criminals, and the principle of secularism is distorted in many ways. Thus we need to decipher the messages of the Language Martyrs Day in order to uphold the principles of a prosperous and secular Bangladesh through the solidarity of the people believing in the principles of our liberation war….
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