Bangladesh Language Martyrs’ Day, IMLD 2018 marked in Tehran
Language Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day (IMLD) 2019 were commemorated in a ceremony at Bangladesh Embassy in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Thursday.
These two occasions are marked annually on February 21. The IMLD — a worldwide annual observance — is marked each year to enhance awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.
First announced by UNESCO on November 17, 1999, it was formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages. The idea to celebrate IMLD was the initiative of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, February 21 marks the anniversary of the day when, in 1952, the people of the country fought for the recognition of Bengali, their mother tongue, as an official state language.
On this day, police opened fire on rallies which led to the martyrdom of a number of people and hundreds being injured. This is one of the very rare incidents in history, where people had to sacrifice their lives for their mother tongue.
The function began with the hoisting of the national flag of Bangladesh to half-staff and was followed by the reading out of a number of messages by senior Bangladeshi officials including, the country’s President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Abulkalam Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Shahriar Alam, on the occasion.
Extending warm congratulations and sincere felicitations to all multilingual people of the world along with Bangla-speaking people in his message, President Hamid said, “The great Language Movement is a memorable happening in our national history, Today, I pay my deep homage to the language martyrs namely Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar, Shafiur and so many unknown and unsung language heroes who laid down their lives for the cause of mother tongue Bangla.”
Hasina’s message read: “I would like to greet the Bangla-speaking people and people of all languages and cultures across the world on the occasion of the glorious Martyrs and International Mother Language Day.”
It added, “I pay my deep homage to the memories of the martyrs. I also pay my deep respected to the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had led the language movement and all other language veterans.”
Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Iran Majibur Rahman Bhuiyan said no sacrifice of life goes in vain.
He added after gaining its independence under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 26, 1971, Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in economy, politics, rule of law and social sectors.
“Although we are faced with so many challenges and are a small country, we have been able to overcome those challenges and be on the road of progress and marching very fast. That has been possible because of the very able leadership of our honorable prime minister. We are transforming from a least developed country to a middleincome state and will become one by 2021. By 2041, we will be a developed country.”