Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina criticized those who speak Bangla in English accent. She advised them to practice Bangla properly.
There is nothing to do except showing compassion for those, who staying on the soil of Bangladesh, cannot speak Bangla properly and who try to speak our mother language in English accent, she said.
The Prime Minister said there are some boys and girls in the country, who try to speak Bangla in English accent, forgetting Bangla and languages of their own areas.
It seems from their attitude that they feel very uneasy to speak Bangla, she added.
The premier said this while inaugurating a four-day program of the International Mother Language Institute (IMLI) at Segunbagicha here on Friday (Feb.21) afternoon on the occasion of the Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day 2020.
Sheikh Hasina said the world is now a global village where everybody needs to learn other languages but the mother tongue must never be neglected.
To live here, to communicate with others, doing business, knowing about other cultures and literature, one needs to learn different languages but not by excluding the mother tongue, she said.
Presided over by Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, the function was also addressed by Deputy Minister for Education Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Head of the Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh Beatrice Kaldun as the special guests.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata Professor Dr Pabitra Sarkar presented the keynote speech.
Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the Education Ministry Md Mahboob Hossain delivered the welcome address, while Director General of the International Mother Language Institute Professor Dr. Jinnat Imtiaz Ali gave the vote of thanks.
Bangabandhu’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana and granddaughter and Chairperson of Bangladesh National Advisory Committee for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Saima Wazed Hossain were present at the function.
Besides, cabinet ministers, PM’s advisors, parliament members, foreign diplomats, Ekushey Award laureates, litterateurs, poets, academics, writers, researchers, linguists, poets, journalists, artists, heads of international organizations in Dhaka and secretaries concerned to the Premier were present.
Referring to a comment of Professor Pabitra Sarkar, who presented the keynote speech at the function, the prime minister said, the noted Indian educationist made a true remark that narrow mindness works among us while practicing our own language.
Sheikh Hasina said there are some people who think that their children will not get job or cannot move in the society if they (children) do not study in English medium. There is no doubt that they (those people) are suffering from mental poorness, she said.
In this connection, the Prime Minister said she and her younger sister had to lead a refugee life abroad after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
We speak in the both languages as we moved to Dhaka during the childhood and born on the soil of Tungipara. So there are influences of both the languages in our talk and we don’t feel ashamed in this regard, she said.
Referring to the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina said the Father of the Nation unhesitatingly uttered the language of Gopalganj which created an appeal among the people.
Bangabandhu had been able to reach the hearts of the people very fast and also had been able to tell the words of the people. That’s why whatever directives he had given the people accepted those, she said.
Remembering the glorious history of the Language Movement, the Prime Minister said, in fact, immortal Ekushey has taught us sense of self-dignity and not to bow down the heads.
Putting emphasis on teaching that history to generations after generations, Sheikh Hasina said the day is very important for the nation as independence of the country was written by the letters of its (Ekushey) blood.
Referring to Bangabandhu’s outstanding contributions to the Language Movement, the Prime Minister said he got involved in the movement at the beginning of the language movement.
She mentioned that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib then said no nation can tolerate the humiliation of mother tongue. According to his proposal in 1948, the Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad (State Language Movement Committee) was formed in association with Chhatra League, Tamddun Majlis and other student organizations.
The Premier said Bangabandhu was the main driving force in all subsequent movements and he had to endure a lot of persecution while fighting for the mother tongue.
You all know that history. The Father of the Nation has written that sequential history in his ‘Unfinished Memoirs’ and ‘Karagarer Rojnamcha (Prison Diary), she said.
The prime minister said, the year 2020 is a particularly important year in our national life as the birth centenary of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is going to be celebrated.
The celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of our Independence and the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation will continue simultaneously in 2021, she said.
At the function, the Premier unveiled the publication of the international phonetic alphabet of Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 speech and the publication of his historic January 10 homecoming day speech in sign language and Brail letters.
Earlier, Sheikh Hasina inaugurated a mural of Bangabandhu on the institute premises. Prime Minister’s Assignment Officer Arifuzzaman Nurnabi constructed the mural.
The Prime Minister later visited a photo and painting exhibition on Bangabandhu at Shilpakala Academy in Segunbaghicha.
Accompanied by Sheikh Rehana and Saima Wazed Hossain, Sheikh Hasina saw with keen interest different historic photos and paintings on the Father of the Nation.
The exhibition titled ‘Lightning the Fire of Freedom Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’ has been presented by the Centre for Research and Information and produced by Samdani Art Foundation.
The exhibition will continue till March 31 marking the Mujib Borsho, the organizers said.