Underscoring the importance of learning mother language first, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged all to be more aware to uphold the dignity of Bangla.
“I call upon to all uphold the dignity of our mother language, achieved in exchange for blood,” she said while addressing the distribution ceremony of Ekushey Padak 2016 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital yesterday.
“Our children must learn other languages,” the prime minister said. “But it will be real education if they first learn their mother language and then others. Our society will have to be conscious in this regard.”
Yesterday, the prime minister formally handed over the Ekushey Padak 2016 to the country’s 16 eminent personalities in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
Of the recipients, Justice Kazi Ebadul Haque, Dr Sayeed Haider, Syed Golam Kibria (posthumously), and Dr Jasim Uddin Ahmed were given the award for their contribution to the language movement.
Jahanara Ahmed for acting, Pandit Amaresh Roy Chowdhury for classical music, Shahin Samad for music, Amanul Haque for dance, Kazi Anwar Hossain (posthumously) for painting, Mafidul Haque for Liberation War, Toab Khan for journalism; ABM Abdullah and Maung Than Sein for research, and Jyotiprakash Datta, Hayat Mamud and Habibullah Siraji for contribution to language and literature.
Noting that many mother languages are losing their importance as people choose other languages for daily interactions, Hasina said: “We must not forget our mother language. As we have to learn other languages, we have to practise our mother tongue, too.”
The prime minister said: “We will have to move ahead with self-confidence and thus further develop and prosper this country so that the Bangali nation has its due place on the global stage with its head high. Ekushey February (February 21) is not a mere day… it flourishes our spirit and teach us not to bow down our head to injustice.”
She suggested the Ministry of Cultural Affairs project the history of February 21 in various languages of the world, reported UNB.
Noting that Bangalis have gained their hard-fought independence in 1971 following the path of February 21, Hasina said: “As a nation, we have unique tradition, characteristics and literature, arts and culture. We will have to retain it and teach our future generation to follow it.”
Recalling with great respect the sacrifices of language martyrs, she said it was Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had proposed forming Rastrabhasha Sangram Parishad in 1948 which had initiated the struggle for gaining Bangla as the state language.
Citing that there could not be anything above mother language, she said: “We will have to give due respect to our Bangla language so that the nation could be built in such a way.”
About honouring eminent personalities with Ekushey Padak, Hasina said although this is a humble endeavour to recognise their contributions, the real aim is to encourage the future generation so that they could follow these personalities and thus love the country, its people, literature and culture, and engage in research and cultural practice.
Highlighting various steps of her government for ensuring further excellence of Bangla language alongside playing role for protecting other languages, she said her government had established the International Mother Language Institute in the capital where research works are carried out on the origin of languages, their development, preservation and practice.
Cultural Affairs Secretary Begum Aktari Momtaz delivered the welcome address at the function, while Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor chaired the event.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam conducted the function and read out the citations of the awardees.