Background and Adoption of the Resolution

International Mother Language Day

The decision to observe 21st February as the International Mother Language Day was unanimously taken at the 30th General Conference of the UNESCO held on November 17, 1999.

There is a brief background behind this resolution.

Bangladesh officially sent a proposal to UNESCO requesting the world body to adopt a Resolution declaring 21st February as International Mother Language Day. The Language Division of UNESCO marked the proposal from the Government of Bangladesh as the Draft Resolution -35 and sent the same to Commission-2 for consideration. The Commission unanimously recommended the proposal for presentation at the Plenary Session of the General Conference of the UNESCO. This proposal from Bangladesh was seconded by Ivorycoast, Italy, Indonesia, Iran, Oman, Comoros, Gambia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguaya, the Philippines, the Bahamas, Benin, Blearus, Vanatua, India, Micronesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Russia, Lithunia, Srilanka, Saudi Arabia, Surinam, Slovakia and Honduras. After that, on November 17, 1999, 21st February was declared in the General Conference as the International Mother Language Day.

It may be mentioned here that " Gaffargaon Theatre" under Mymensing district in Bangladesh had in 1997, in a booklet published on the eve of 21st February, raised the "demand for declaration of an International Mother Language Day and for the International recognition of 21st February."

There is an Organization named "Mother Language Lovers of the World" in Canada. There are ten English, Kutchi, Cantonese, German, Filipino, Bengali and Hindi speaking members in that organization. In 1999 they urged the UNO and the UNESCO to declare 21st February as the International Mother Language Day. The UNESCO in reply informed them that such proposal could only be considered if it had come from the National Commission for UNESCO of any member-state. The said organization informed Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh of the matter over telephone. The hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh authorized the Education Minister to send the Bangladesh Proposal to UNESCO at the earliest cutting down all the procedural formalities. The Proposal was promptly sent to UNESCO. This enabled UNESCO to adopt the historic resolution in the long run.

It is a great achievement on the part of Bangladesh. Probably nothing equally great has been achieved after the Independence war. The International Mother Language Day is not only for Bangladesh, rather it is for all speakers of all languages all over the world. In spite of that, Bangladesh cannot but feel proud when 21st February has been chosen as the International Mother Language Day.

It might be relevant to describe in brief, what happened on this day and what the circumstances were at that time.

	Abul Barkat: A Language Martyr who died on 21st February 1952, as police opened fire on a mass-rally demanding his mother language Bangla to be one of the State languages of the then Pakistan. Born on 16th June 1927 in village Babla in Bhorotpur police station under Murshidabad district in West Bengal, he migrated to Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) in 1948. He was a Masters student of the University of Dhaka.
	Rafiquddin Ahmed: A Language Martyr who died in a police firing, on 21st February 1952, on a mass-rally demanding the mother language (Bangla) to be one of the state languages of Pakistan. He was born on 30th October, 1926 in the village Paril Baldhara in Shingair police station under Manikgonj district. He was a student of Manikgonj Debandra College.
	Shafiur Rahman: A Language Martyr who died in a police firing on 22nd February 1952 on a mob agitating against the police action on the 21st February 1952. Born on 24th January, 1918 in the village Kunnyogar under 24-Pargana, West Bengal, he migrated to Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) in 1948. He was an employee in the accounts section in Dhaka High Court.

From 1953 onwards till today, 21st February is being observed as a martyrs' day. The Memorial erected in their name has turned into a national meeting place. The love and respect that these martyrs had aroused for Bengali mother-tongue and culture, eventually laid the foundation of the war of liberation of Bangladesh.

In 1956 Pakistan Constitution, Bengali and Urdu were declared as state languages of Pakistan. In the constitution of Bangladesh, adopted in 1972, it is a stated: the language of the Republic would be Bengali. In Bangladesh continuous efforts are on to establish Bangla in all walks of life.

We hope that the spirit of the International Mother Language Day will help develop in us a deep respect for not only our mother tongue, but for those of others as well; help the expression of all kinds of majority and minority languages and put an end to the dictates of one language over the other.