Foreign affairs ministry on Friday organised a programme to commemorate Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day 2025 paying deepest respect to all language martyrs and the language movement veterans.
The event featured a Provat Feri, a discussion session, a cultural programme, and a display of children’s art.
Diplomatic missions, representatives of UN agencies and international organisations in Dhaka participated in the programme at Foreign Service Academy.
Foreign secretary Md Jashim Uddin said that ‘Amar Ekushe February’ is a historic and significant milestone in national history.
The spirit of the 21st February has later inspired all the national movements to achieve the right to self-determination and culminated in the great independence in 1971, he said.
This day marks the silver jubilee celebration of the International Mother Language Day.
The foreign secretary conveyed their gratitude to all individuals and entities at home and abroad who contributed towards the global recognition of this day as the ‘International Mother Language Day’ back in 1999.
The theme selected for the International Mother Language Day this year is: ‘Make languages count for sustainable development’.
It can also be deemed relevant to the notion of intergenerational continuance of legacy and heritage as well as linguistic and cultural diversity, Jashim Uddin said.
‘I believe preparing a generation of youngsters skilled in application as well as tutoring the advanced knowledges in any field of the greater academia is of high importance,’ he said.
Secondly, the foreign secretary said, with the fourth industrial revolution already in full swing worldwide, it was high time they invested more in high-end artificial intelligence software, OCR software and search engines etc in their mother tongue Bangla.
The July-August 2024 revolution and the supreme sacrifices of the young people have provided a unique opportunity to establish equality and justice and to eliminate all forms of discrimination including cultural exploitation, he said.
‘I pay respect to them on this historic day for creating an opportunity for a better Bangladesh,’ he said.
The current interim government led by chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, remains committed to upholding these ideals by fostering national unity, ensuring equal opportunities and respecting all linguistic and cultural identities, said foreign secretary.
The interim government is emphasising on promoting multilingualism, preserving endangered languages and creating an environment where linguistic diversity is ensured, he said.