International Mother Language Day observed in Colombo
A commemorative event to observe International Mother Language Day was held on Friday (21) at Independence Square. The event was organised by the High Commission of Bangladesh in Sri Lanka and the Education Ministry.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Chief Guest at the ceremony, which was also attended by Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena. The theme this year was “Language for Unity.”
The Bangladesh High Commission has been organising events to commemorate International Mother Language Day for the past 10 years. Addressing the gathering, Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah stated that this year, it collaborated with the Education Ministry to hold island-wide competitions on art, essay writing and poetry to celebrate International Mother Language Day.
“Why painting and arts? We have been saying that painting, like songs and letters, is another language; a very profound language that we tend to ignore but which actually unifies us,” he added.
Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena stated that the mother language “is the key medium we utilise to express our deepest thoughts and our own ideas that depict our unique cultural identity.” He underlined the importance of preserving mother languages in this globalised era.
Winners of the island-wide competitions held to celebrate International Mother Language Day received their awards at this event.