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On February 21st 2025, Bangladesh commemorated International Mother Language Day, thus offering tribute to those who struggled for the 1952 Language Movement. It was Amar Ekushey and many people congregated in front of the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka to remember the incident by placing floral wreaths that symbolize ardor, in memory of those who gave their lives for the right to speak in Bangla.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus were some of the people that attended the tributes. Then they were followed by some government officials, diplomats and the political leaders. UNESCO also played a role in organizing events aimed at celebrating and promoting bilingual and multilingual education worldwide.
It was a privilege to take part in International Mother Language Day in Bangladesh. An important Bangladesh led global initiative to recognise and promote the intrinsic importance of linguistic diversity.
— Susan Ryle (@AusHCBangladesh) February 21, 2025
Reason Behind Celebrating This Day:
International Mother Language Day comes from the 1952 Language Movement during which students rebelled against the imposition of Urdu as the national language of Pakistan. The occurrence of the movement was accompanied by the tragic passing of Salam, Rafiq, Barkat, Jabbar and other protesters on February 21st 1952.
Their dedication however resulted in the recognition of Bangla as the official language of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
To underline the value of linguistic differences, UNESCO announced February 21st as International Mother Language Day in 1999. This date pledges to stand against the wiping off of indigenous languages and to work towards a cultural identity and the education of linguistic diversity as the birthright of the Bengali peoples.
