An International mother language day

International Mother Language Day

The 21st of February is of special significance to the people of Bangladesh. Each year, on this date, the country memorizes International Mother Language Day in recognition of the preservation of Bangla as the official language of Bangladesh. At the request of the people of Bangladesh and after investigating the matter, UNESCO declared the 21st of February each year to be International Mother Language Day on a world-wide scale among United Nations member countries.

What makes the 21st of February so special?

The Governor General of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, declared at a public meeting on 21 March 1948 that Urdu would be the only official language for both east and west Pakistan. The majority of the people living in eastern Pakistan were Bangla-speaking and therefore protested against this declaration. A student meeting called for a strike on 21 February, a move which the Pakistani government would not tolerate. Five of the students who were campaigning for Bangla to be recognized as one of the state languages of Pakistan were shot and killed by police. The slain students are seen as martyrs for their cause, which turned out to be the beginning of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.

International Mother Language Day Events and Activities

On International Mother Language Day the UNESCO and other UN organizations partake in proceedings that encourage linguistic and cultural variety. They also cheer natives to keep up their awareness of their mother language while education and using more than one language. Governments and non-governmental associations may use the day to make known strategies to promote language learning and hold up language diversity. On the21^st Februeary Public lay flowers at a Shaheed Minar (martyr's monument). They also buy glass bangles for themselves or female associations; eat a merry meal and arrange parties; and reward prizes to literates or host literary contests. It is a time to commemorate Bangladesh’s ethnicity and the Bengali language.

All over the world like the Linguapax Institute, in Barcelona, Spain, aspires to protect and encourage linguistic assortment worldwide. The association awards the Linguapax Prize on International Mother Language Day every year. The award is for those who have made exceptional work in linguistic diversity or multilingual learning.

An International Mother Language Day memorial was constructed at Ashfield Park in Sydney, Australia, on February 19, 2006.  It comprises of a block of slate build up vertically on an elevated podium. There are stylized engravings of the Shaheed Minar and the world on the facade of the stone. There are in addition, the words "We will remember the martyrs of 21st February" in English and Bengali and words in five alphabets to symbolize mother tounges on five continents where public exists.

The Shaheed Minar (martyr's monument) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, pays respect to the four protesters murdered in 1952. There have been three adaptations of the monument. The first adaptation was constructed on February 22-23 in 1952 but the police and army shattered it within a few days. Erection of the second adaptation started in November 1957, but the beginning of martial law stopped erection work and it was smashed at some stage in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.