21 February__International Mother Language Day

With around 207 million speakers and occupying the 7th spot in the list of the world's most widely spoken languages, Bangla is a dynamic language that continues to grow. Yet it is one that is not appreciated enough, often sidelined for other foreign languages.We only realize its value during Ekushey February, the International Mother Language Day.The truth, however, is that Bangla is one of the most lyrical languages out there. Proof enough lies in its poetry, songs and proverbs.One who hasn't explored this realm of Bangla hasn't known it at all.



Ekushey (21 February) observed with reverence Staff Correspondent The Central Shaheed Minar is flooded with flowers placed by thousands of people as homage to the Language Movement martyrs yesterday. Photo: STAR The Central Shaheed Miner was flooded with flowers as thousands barefooted, wearing black ribbons and holding bouquets close to their bosoms thronged there to pay homage to the brave sons of the soil who laid down their lives in 1952 for mother tongue Bangla.

With daybreak people kept flooding in leaving hardly any space for free movement at the Central Shaheed Minar, symbol of the spirit of not bowing down to repression.

On February 21, 1952, Salam, Barkat, Shafiur, Rafiq, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil sacrificed their lives to establish Bangla as one of the state languages of the then Pakistan. The day has since been observed as the Language Martyrs Day. Unesco declared it International Mother Language Day in November 1999. People outside the capital and Bangladesh missions abroad also paid homage to the martyrs placing flowers after midnight at Shaheed Minars.
















It was a public holiday and the national flag alongside black flags flew at half-mast on government, autonomous and private buildings. Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu in association with Dabur Nepal, a private organisation, organised a week-long painting exhibition at the embassy marking the day. Bangladesh High Commission in Male organised a poetry reading programme and a discussion at Chancery Building yesterday. Meanwhile, expatriate Bangladeshis in the US paid homage to language martyrs across the country, reports News World.