International Mother Language Day 2024

Every year on February 21st, International Mother Language Day is celebrated around the world. This day highlights the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity. With over 7000 languages spoken globally, the day highlights the need to preserve and protect these diverse languages, as many have vanished over time.

The initiative to celebrate this day was taken by Bangladesh. After separating from India, Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan and was known as “East Pakistan.” There, only Urdu was declared as the National language. As Bengali was excluded, Bengali-speaking youths of Bangladesh gathered to protest against this decision. 

In February 1952, four activists lost their lives during the riots. After many protests, Bangladesh became an independent country in 1971, and Bengali was declared as the National language. To pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their country, UNESCO announced February 21st as International Mother Language Day. 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.” On this day, various activities are arranged in schools and colleges to urge students to learn their mother tongue. To celebrate this day, we should understand the importance of our mother language and encourage others to do the same.