History is testament to how important language is to the human phenomenon. Our nation’s movement for our language on 21st February 1952 has become the torchbearer for the love of language everywhere, culminating in the date becoming the official day for celebrating one’s mother tongue across the world. Yet, our concept of language is still stuck in the oral, verbal communication of everyday, whereas the act of language has more dimensions than that. For this year’s International Mother Language Day, Radio Shadhin 92.4 FM celebrated one of these other dimensions: the art of sign language.
Radio Shadhin has released a video shot in the premises of the Dhaka Bodhir High School in the capital’s Bijoynagar area. The emotional video shows the visit of the Shadhin family to the school, where they learn the words of Altaf Mahmud’s immortal song, “Amar bhai-er rokte rangano ekushe February,” entirely in sign language from the students.
Beyond Sound is Radio Shadhin’s theme for 21st February this year. On the International Mother Language Day, Radio Shadhin celebrated the art of sign language with the idea, “Mayer bhasha shobder cheyeo beshi,” mother language is more than just words. Beyond Sound promotes the idea that the act of language is beyond oral and verbal communication of everyday.
Planned by Abdun Nafee and directed by Anam Biswas, the video is a production of AsiaticJWT. Music composed by Bart Nandit Areng, the video already garnered in more than 702,000 views on Facebook.
