Bangladesh
Mother Language Language is our glorious achievement: Prime Minister Hasina
Dhaka, February 22: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that language is the identity of the people. This identity give people respect. We have earned that honor with blood. It is our glorious achievement. She was speaking at the inauguration of the Great Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day and the awarding of 'Mother Language Medal 2021' at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital's Segunbagicha on Sunday (February 21).
The International Mother Language Institute has announced a four-day program on the occasion of Mother Language Day. The Prime Minister joined the inaugural function through a video conference from Ganobhaban. On this day, for the first time, the awarding of 'International Mother Language Medal' was started at the national and international level.
Sheikh Hasina said the students of Dhaka University (DU) started the language movement. At that time Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a law student of this university. On his initiative, several organizations including Tamaddun Majlish formed Bhasha Sangram Parishad. He was imprisoned while protesting. But every step of Bangabandhu in the language movement has been tried to be erased. Bangabandhu's contribution to the language movement, many do not want to believe it. But Bangabandhu sowed the seeds of independence movement through this movement.
She said, "A language is the identity of the people. This identity gives us respect. For this we have to give blood. I have written the letters of the language with blood. The Father of the Nation said, 'Bengalis were the first to give blood in the Mother Language Movement.' Indeed, no one has given so much blood for the right to language. We have had to fight for this language. It is through that struggle that we have gained freedom."
The Prime Minister said, "We have taken initiative to preserve our pride. We have set up the International Mother Language Institute for Language Rights, Preservation of All Lost Languages in the World and Language Research. The language museum has been made here. It is a respectable institution for Bangladesh.
She said, "We have made arrangements to give medals for contribution at national and international level in language preservation, development and research. This medal has been introduced from today. On the birth centenary of the father of the nation and the golden jubilee of independence and in the month of language, we were able to pay homage to the geniuses and the language, it is our good fortune."
