Bangladeshis sacrificed for mother tongue
MANZINI – Bangladeshis living in Eswatini have shared their sad story which happened on February 21, 1952 and led to declaration of the International Mother Language Day.
February 21 was declared as the International Mother Language Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in November 1999, but the people of Bangladesh started commemorating it in 1953.
They narrated the history of the day, when they commemorated it on Tuesday evening at the Manzini Club. The event attracted about 400 Bangladeshis and they honoured their brothers and sisters who died on February 21, 1952, for the recognition of their mother language - Bengali.
Significance
The Bangladeshis shared that they were once colonised by Pakistan and that the significance of February 21 dates back to 1952 in Bangladesh, which was then known as East Pakistan. On the day, they said university students and activists from the region protested against the imposition of Urdu (Pakistan language) as their only official language.
They recalled that at that time, Bengali was widely spoken in East Pakistan, and the decision to make Urdu the sole official language was seen as an attempt to marginalise Bengali-speaking people.
Therefore, they said on February 21, 1952, students and activists organised a demonstration in the city of Dhaka, the capital of East
Pakistan, to demand the recognition of Bengali as an official language. The protest turned violent when police opened fire on the demonstrators and killed several people, mainly the protesters.
The incident, they said, sparked widespread protests, which led to a movement for Bengali language rights and it ultimately culminated in the recognition of Bengali as an official language of Pakistan in 1956.
Recognition
“Today, February 21, is celebrated as Language Movement Day in Bangladesh and it is a national holiday in the country,” they said.
Thereafter, they said in recognition of the historical significance of the Language Movement and the importance of linguistic diversity, UNESCO declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999. To date, the day is celebrated around the world to promote the preservation and protection of languages and to celebrate the cultural richness and diversity of different linguistic communities. During the commemoration of the day, the Bangladeshis put flowers at a monument in honour of their fallen heroes, who died fighting for the recognition of their mother language - Bengali. They also sang songs which they dedicated to their fallen heroes.
They said the day deserved to be celebrated because people had to practice their mother language every day. Nowadays, they said some people were missing out on the importance of their mother language, especially for the new generation.