February 21 is observed worldwide as International Mother Language Day, a date rooted in Bangladesh’s 1952 language movement. On that day, police opened fire on students in Dhaka demanding recognition of Bangla as a state language, resulting in the deaths of several young activists including Salam, Rafiq, Jabbar, Shafiur, and Barkat. The day is also commemorated as Language Martyrs’ Day in Bangladesh.
The initiative to make February 21 an international observance began in 1998 when Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam, two Bangladeshi expatriates in Vancouver, petitioned UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Their proposal gained attention within the UN system and led to the formation of the organization “Mother Language Lovers of the World.” With support from Canada, India, Hungary, Finland, and Bangladesh, the proposal was presented at UNESCO’s Paris session on November 17, 1999. It received backing from 188 countries.
Since February 21, 2000, International Mother Language Day has been observed with due respect across UN member states, honoring linguistic diversity and the sacrifices made for language rights.
সারিকা সাফিউন প্রকাশ : ১৭ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০২৬, ১৩: ৩৩ সারিকা সাফিউন একুশে ফেব্রুয়ারি দিনটি বিশ্বজুড়ে মাতৃভাষা হিসেবে পালিত হয়। ১৯৯৯ সালের ১৭ নভেম্বর জাতিসংঘে গ্রহণ করা সিদ্ধান্ত অনুসারে বাংলা ভাষার সঙ্গে জড়িত এ তারিখটি ‘আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা’ দিবসের সম্
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