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Writing in Roman letters threat to Bangla language


Published : 20 Feb 2020 08:56 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 04:10 PM

The use of Roman letters in writing and learning Bangla language has increased alarmingly, which, experts say, is creating a severe threat to the language of over 35 crore people spreading across the globe. Nowadays, a large number of Bangla-speaking people across the world use Roman letters in writing Bangla messages, conversations or social media status through mobile phone or computer.

Such kind of practices are considered to be disgrace for Bangla language, the only language in the world for which a nation fought and many sacrificed their lives. Many of the Bengalis embraced martyrdom for the language on February 21 in 1952. The Bengalis had raised their voices against the attempt of the Pakistani rulers, who had tried to destroy the mother tongue of Bengali nation. Instead of Bangla, they had tried to introduce Urdu as the only state language from ill intension.

Moreover, they had tried to introduce a style to write Bangla with Arabian letters and asked the Bengali nation to follow it. In honour to the sacrifices of the Bengalis, the UNESCO has recognised February 21 as the International Mother Language Day. Although the Pakistani rulers had failed in 1952, now a section of Bengalis is defeating themselves through practising Bangla writing or learning with Roman letters.

Experts say that letters or fonts are the base of any language and that when the letters or fonts are missing, the language does not sustain. “Language is not only the literature; the life of language is its fonts or letters. Missing of fonts of any language is the cause of death of that language,” said Posts, Telecommunications and Information Communication Minister Mustafa Jabbar, who is also known as the pioneer in Bangla-writing software.

“As an example, we could say that the Danish language is now almost dead as they use the Roman fonts in the writing of their language. Now less than 13 per cent Danish people can speak in their own Danish language,” he said. The posts and telecommunications minister urged and advised all the Bengalis to show honour to their mother tongue and stop the malpractice. He opined that the Bangla language and its fonts are more capable than any other language of expressing anything.