International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by UNESCO’s General Conference in November 1999 and has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. For the first time in Scotland, the Bangladesh Samity (Associtation) Edinburgh in association with the City Council of Edinburgh will recognise this day with a brief ceremony at The City Chambers Quadrangle at 8.45 a.m. A procession will lead from the High Street to a temporary memorial which will be built at the chambers quadrangle and a floral wreath will be laid.

The date of 21st February was chosen in homage to three “language martyrs” from Bangladesh who were shot on 21st February 1952, during public demonstrations to promote their mother language, Bangla, as a national language along with Urdu, in the then newly created Pakistan. Since then, the day has been commemorated in Bangladesh.

The origin of this International Day is attributed to an organization known as “Mother Language Lovers of the World” in Canada, who proposed this idea to the United Nations and UNESCO and were told by UNESCO that this request should be presented through a Member State. The Government of Bangladesh obliged.

International Mother Language Day, celebrated on 21 February every year since 2000, will also mark this year the start of the International Year of Languages proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, which has entrusted its coordination to UNESCO.

Acting without a vote, the Assembly also recognized that the United Nations pursues multilingualism as a means of promoting, protecting and preserving diversity of languages and cultures globally, saying, “Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.”

The organisation works in six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish)