PM for learning mother language properly

Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina on Sunday put utmost importance on learning mother language which protects the history and tradition, reports UNB.

"For international communication, we must have to learn other languages. We've to learn international communication medium, along with that we've to learn our mother tongue too," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while inaugurating a four-day programme at the International Mother Language Institute at Shegunbagicha on the occasion of the Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day 2021.

She joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

She said a language is the identity of a person and that identity gives honour.

The PM mentioned that during the Pakistan regime there were several attempts on the Bangla language.

"At first, there was a move to write Bangla in Arabic letter, after that another move was to write Bangla in Latin letters. I don't know what was the problem with Bangla words," she said.

She mentioned that all moves were resisted through struggle. "And following the path of this struggle, we attained our independence," she said.

Sheikh Hasina briefly described the attachment of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu in the Language Movement.

She said that once upon a time when she tried to describe the role of the Father of the Nation in the Language Movement, at that time many people, including the learned persons, ridiculed her saying that how was Bangabandhu involved in Language Movement as he was in jail at that time.

"But why was he (Bangabandhu) sent to jail? It was for the initiating the movement to make Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan," she said.

She said that the Intelligence Branch of Pakistan, in their reports, had described all the movement of Bangabandhu for the Language Movement and those reports have been publishing gradually in the form of book.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Head of the Office and UNESCO Representative in Bangladesh Beatrice Kaldun and Education Secretary Mahbub Hossain spoke, among others, on the occasion.

Director General of Bangla Academy Habibullah Siraji presented the keynote speech.

At the outset of the programme, a minute's silence was observed to show respect to the language martyrs.

The PM also distribute International Mother Language Award among three individuals and an international organisation for their contributions towards the practice or preservation of mother tongue.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni handed over the awards among the recipients on behalf of the PM.