International Mother Language Day is observed every year on February 21
International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is a worldwide annual observance held on February 21 to promote 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 International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, February 21 is the anniversary of the day when Bangladeshis fought for recognition for the Bangla language.
When Pakistan was created in 1947, it had two different parts: East Pakistan (currently known as Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (currently known as Pakistan). The two parts were very different to each other in sense of culture, language, etc. The two parts were also separated by India in between.
In 1948, the then Government of Pakistan declared Urdu to be the sole national language of Pakistan. The people of East Pakistan protested since the majority of the population was from East Pakistan and their mother language was Bangla. They demanded Bangla to be at least one of the national languages, in addition to Urdu. To put down the protest, the government of Pakistan outlawed public meetings and rallies. The students of the University of Dhaka, with the support of general public, arranged massive rallies and meetings. On February 21, 1952, police opened fire on these rallies. Five students died and hundreds of others were injured. This was a rare incident in which citizens sacrificed their lives for their mother tongue.
After years of continuously growing protests, rallies and additional sacrifices by the East Pakistanis, in 1956, the government granted official language status to Bangla. Since then, Bengali Language Movement Day has been observed by Bangladeshis every year on February 21. It is also referred to as Language Martyrs’ Day or Martyrs’ Day . Crowds visit Shahid Minar, a monument built to honor the martyrs to express their deep sorrow and gratefulness to the martyrs.
International Mother Language Day is a national holiday in Bangladesh. The resolution to observe the date internationally was suggested by Rafiqul Islam, a Bengali living in Vancouver, Canada. He wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on January 9, 1998, asking him to take a step for saving the world’s languages from extinction by declaring an International Mother Language Day. Rafiq proposed the date as February 21 to commemorate the 1952 killings in Dhaka during the Bengali Language Movement. On November 17, 1999, the UNESCO General Conference declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day (30C/62). The United Nations General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution A/RES/56/262 of 2002.
Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.
Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. Linguistic diversity is increasingly threatened as more and more languages disappear. Globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Nevertheless, progress is being made in mother tongue-based multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life.
Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
