The Bangla Academy, which is dedicated to conducting research on Bangla language, got its first ever law written in Bangla since its establishment on December 3, 1955, when parliament enacted the Bangla Academy law on Sunday.
The minister had tabled the bill in parliament on July 14, proposing giving the Bangla Academy more roles in expanding the use of Bangla in every sphere of life.
The proposed law mandated the Bangla Academy to impart trainings to public servants , upon requests from the government, on Bangla language.
The new law has stipulated 22 functions of the academy, including translating Bangla literary works into different languages to uphold the rich tradition of Bangla literature, as well as translating works from other languages into Bangla.
The House passed the law by voice vote in the absence of the main opposition BNP after Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad proposed its passage.
The academy currently runs under the Bangla Academy Ordinance, which is in English, promulgated by military ruler General Ziaur Rahman in 1978.
In 1957, the provincial government in the then East Pakistan passed the Bengali Academy Act in English to give the academy a solid foundation. In 1960, the governor of the East Pakistan promulgated the Bengali Academy (amendment) Ordinance, also in English, to change the provision for the appointment of the president and establish government control over it.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman promulgated the Bangla Academy Order 1972 in English after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Parliament in 1987 enacted a law for mandatory use of Bangla in all spheres of life, but its implementation still remains elusive because of the authorities’ inaction.
In addition, the academy has been tasked with increasing the use of Bangla in the field of science and technology.