Write an Essay on International Mother Language Day
Introduction: 21ª February is absurd as International Mother Language Day. It is a red-letter day in our national history. This great occasion reminds us of those heroic saws of the sail who sacrificed their lives for the establishment of our mother tongue “Bangla” as the state language. After recognition by UNESCO in November 1999, our Language Day is observed globally as International Mother Language Day.
Thus a national event in Bangladesh has turned into an international one.
Historical background: The day of 21st February has a historical background. After the independence of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the ruling authority of West Pakistan declared that only Urdu shall be the state language of Pakistan in 1948. He also tried to impose it on the Bangla-speaking majority people. All classes of people of erstwhile East Pakistan raise a strong protest against this declaration: The people took to the street chanting slogans and the struggle took a very serious turn. The ruling class became furious and imposes section 144 all over the country and banned all meetings and processions. But on the 21st February 1952, the students and the public defined section 144 and bought out a procession from the Dhaka University campus. The brutal police charged fire on the procession continually. As a result, many brave sons of the soil like Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar, Safiq met martyrdom. But Bangalees did not step back. Rather the movement became so strong then the ruling class was forced to recognize Bangla as one of the state languages of them Pakistan.
International Observance of the day: On 17 November 1999, UNESCO, a specialized organization of United Nations (UN) recognized our language movement and sacrifices of the Martyrs They declared that UNESCO would observe the day internationally. Since 2000, International Mother Language Day is being observed all over the world. The recognition by UNESCO and the observance of the day by the international community has increased our national glory and uplifted the sacrifices of our language martyrs. Through UNESCO recognition, our language day has got international status. On the occasion of the first International Mother Language Day, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, “This day will help to raise awareness among the nations of the world about the enduring value of their mother languages.”
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How to observe/Activities of the day: On this day, at dawn people wearing black badges on their shoulders go to the “Shaheed Minar” barefooted with flowers to pay homage to the martyrs. They sing the mournful song “Amar vaiyer rokte rangano….” It has a great image and tradition in the country. This is a national holiday. We observe this day with due honor and dignity. On the occasion of this day social, political, and cultural organizations arrange different cultural functions. Newspapers bring out special supplements while radio and satellite television Channels air special programs. This day is a source of inspiration for us. We are proud of the day.
Importance of the day: The importance of 21st February and its observance lies elsewhere, It is sows the seed of our liberation war. And importantly, the language movement teaches us that we have been raised for achieving our rights, to establish our place of honor and dignity in the world. It teaches us not to bow down to any oppression. It also inspires us to sacrifice our most treasured thing for sake of the country. So the Importance of International Mother Language Day is very significant.
Conclusion: We are the only nation in the world to sacrifice lives for our mother tongue. International Mother language Day is a glorious recognition of our history and our achievement. It highlights the importance of linguistic identity. We are really proud that we have achieved something that has got global acceptance.