Russian House in Dhaka organized a discussion program marking the International Mother Language Day jointly with Liberation War Academy Trust.
Director of Russian House in Dhaka Maxim Dobrokhotov paid profound respects to all Language Martyrs, especially to Salam, Rafiq, Barkat, Jabbar, Shafiur, young students from Dhaka University, who on this day in 1952made their sublime sacrifice for establishing Bangla as a state language of the erstwhile Pakistan.
He said, “In recognition of the Language Movement in Bangladesh, UNESCO has declared February 21 International Mother Language Day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity in the UN member-states. The declaration was made on November 17, 1999. He reminded that The Language Movement inspired the Bengali nation to fight against injustices and exploitation unto achieving national independence in 1971.”
Main Speaker Language activist and renowned linguist Dr. ABM Amanullah highlighted that “despite the status of the official language, Bengali is not still used as mother tongue properly in Bangladesh and often replaced by English and this is really shameful.”
“Seventy-seven percent of primary schools in Bangladesh do not have language martyr memorials to pay homage to them. So many students construct martyr's minaret on their own initiative!”, - saida linguistic expert & academicianAsif Mazhar.
Freedom fighter Md. Abdur Rauf Bhuiyan recalled the 50th anniversary of friendly relations between Bangladesh and Russia and recited an emotional self-written poem on the celebration of friendship between the two countries. Liberation War Academy Trust Chairman Dr. Abul Azad spoke on the occasion.
Prominent freedom fighters of the country, family members of freedom fighters, cultural activists and students of various educational institutions were present on the occasion.