International Mother Language Day 2024

Every year on February 21st, we celebrate International Mother Language Day. Every country has one or more languages that are spoken by its people. This day shows the importance of celebrating and preserving all these languages. 

UNESCO declared 21st February as the International Mother Language Day in November 2000. The idea to celebrate this day was taken by Bangladesh. In 1947, Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan and was called “East Pakistan.” The people of the country wanted Bengali to be one of the national languages. For that, they started a movement. In 1971, Bangladesh became an Independent country and Bengali became their official language. In Bangladesh, this day is celebrated as ‘Bhasa Diwas.’

This year, the theme of the day is “Multilingual Education is a Pillar of Intergenerational Learning.” To celebrate this day, we should learn to speak in our mother language and encourage others to do the same.