Mother Language Day: Promises saved, guarantees left in Bangladesh 

The historic Ekushey February (February 21) in 1952 noticed the fruits of a bloody battle for the state recognition of Bangla. But has the language acquired its rightful place in Bangladesh? 

February 21, 1952 noticed the fruits of a bloody battle for the state recognition of Bangla language. (Screengrab/Twitter)

By Ashna Habib Bhabna: Ekushey February (February 21) is all the time particular to me. It means energy, honour, dignity, rise up and Bangla to me. This yr, it’s extra significant as Unesco has revealed a poetry presentation to commemorate the event.

This yr, I additionally gifted my reads Danponthi Kobitara. We are shedding the thought of being distinctive, being fantastic. We are persistently preventing with politics, isolation, melancholy, sexuality, loss, dying, and romantic relationships and social bullying.

Through my poetry, movie and guide, I needed to present a common message to boost your interior power to battle all odds. I too need to discover the themes of affection, freedom, and revolution, opposing all types of bigotry, together with non secular and gender.

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The martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement absolutely depicted how rebellious our previous technology was and we should rise up for ourselves, voice our decisions and reside a life with dignity.

On the historic Ekushey February (21 February), which in 1952 noticed the fruits of a bloody battle for the state recognition of Bangla language, we humbly recall the sacrifices made by the martyrs and all those that have been engaged within the battle to place Bangla in its rightful place, and set up our proper to speak, write and conduct official work in our mom tongue. It is a tribute to the martyrs — and a matter of delight for us — that February 21 has been recognised as International Mother Language Day by Unesco.

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But together with the enjoyment of recognition and all of the festivities comes a troubling query: Have we accomplished sufficient to fulfil the goals of our language fighters and martyrs? We typically overlook that Ekushey February had laid the inspiration of our nationhood based mostly on mom language. But has Bangla been given its rightful place within the nation?

In reality, one wouldn’t be remiss in suggesting that Bangla, because the official language of Bangladesh, has suffered from neglect in any respect ranges. One notices with remorse the dearth of use of Bangla in official communication and correspondence. While nobody can have a problem with buying proficiency in a second language — which, in our case, is English — the poor therapy that Bangla routinely will get is a far cry from the imaginative and prescient we so proudly embraced in 1952.

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Although the High Court Division issued a rule on February 17, 2014, to be used of Bangla in any respect ranges, places of work and boards within the nation — and there occurs to be a Bangla Language Implementation Act, 1987,—Bangla nonetheless suffers from abject and gross neglect.

Admittedly, it’s a matter that neither a judicial decree nor an act of Parliament can assist resolve. It must be internalised by all of us, and ingrained in our collective psyche. Only then can Bangla be totally established as a nationwide language.

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We consider that studying Bangla needs to be made obligatory in any respect ranges and services needs to be supplied to pursue larger training in Bangla, which — given the present situation during which Bangla books of reference are few and much between — is well-nigh unimaginable to do.

We also needs to not lose sight of the truth that there are a variety of ethnic teams who’ve their very own languages. They have the equal proper to make use of their mom languages. And there will be no higher tribute to the martyrs than serving to them nurture their native languages.

(The creator is a Bangladeshi actor and poet)

Edited By:

Raajnandini Mukherjee

Published On:

Feb 21, 2023