Francophonie Festival 2016 began yesterday in Dhaka and Chittagong amid festivity and celebration.
Every year, one month after Ekushey February, which is the International Mother Language Day, the Francophone community celebrates and promotes worldwide use of French language as well as cultural and linguistic diversity.
In the framework of 2016 edition, the Francophone diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, together with Alliances Françaises, in Dhaka and Chittagong, are organising related activities from March 11 to 20.
Alliance Française de Dhaka has set up a week-long program that includes events such as pétanque competition, national finale of LabCitoyen (speech contest), cooking competition, Francophonie Short Film Festival 2016, visit to Liberation War museum operated in French language, translation competition and many more.
A talk on “Preservation and Promotion of Mother Language” will be organised at Dhaka University, Institute of Modern Languages (IML, auditorium), at 10 am on Wednesday, March 16. The panelists include Ambassadors of the Francophonie countries and eminent Bangladeshi personalities including Professor Anisuzzaman (Professor Emeritus, Dhaka University), chief guest Professor Dr AA M S Arefin Siddique (vice-chancellor, Dhaka University), special guest Dr JinnatImtiaz Ali (director, of International Mother Language Institute) and so on.
A seminar on “Trade between Bangladesh and Francophonie countries” will take place, under t of three Francophonie Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Canada, France and Switzerland) on Sunday March 20 at 11:00am at Hotel Le Méridien.
The French language is spoken by 220 million individuals worldwide, and it is the official language of 32 countries in the world.