PM stresses proper use of Bangla

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged all to practice and use Bangla language in a proper manner and uphold the country's culture and heritage to brighten further its image abroad alongside spearheading the campaign for development.

"We've protected the dignity of our mother language in exchange for blood and got its international recognition, which is a great pride for us," she said while inaugurating a four-day programme orgainsed by International Mother Language Institute (IMLI) coinciding with the Ekushey February.

The premier added: "So the people shouldn't forget practice of this language . . . as Bengalis, we've to uphold our culture, heritage and other national glories."

Sheikh Hasina said Ekushey February is observed across the globe in a befitting manner as a mark of honour to the mother language of the people of all languages of the world and "now the people of all languages of the world know Bangladesh and also know the unforgettable sacrifice of the Bengalis".

"Ekush taught us not to bow down our head and that teaching eventually enabled us to earn our Independence," the premier said.

She recalled that the very first attack was made on Bengali culture, language and literature as part of Pakistani rulers' orchestrated conspiracy to destroy "our nation but the result (of the plot) is that we achieved independence and got the dignity of the Bangalee nation and a state".

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid chaired the function, addressed, among others, by state minister for Madrasa and Technical Education Division of the education ministry Kazi Keramat Ali and Head and UNESCO's representative in Dhaka B Kaldun.

Secretary of National Coexistence Dialogue and Official Languages of Sri Lanka WMPG Wickramasinghe presented the keynote paper on the theme of the day - 'Linguistic diversity and multilingualism count for sustainable development'.

Cabinet members, premier's advisors, parliament members, litterateurs, academics, writers, poets, journalists, Ekushey Award winners and high civil and military officials were present at the function while secretary of education ministry's secondary and higher secondary division Sohrab Hossain delivered the welcome address and IMLI director general Dr Jinat Imtiaz Ali gave the vote of thanks.

At the outset of the function, a minute's silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memories of language heroes, who laid down their lives for the cause of mother language.

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her determination to build Bangladesh as a hunger and poverty free country as dreamt by Bangabandhu and said that Bangladesh will be elevated to a developing country from least developed country very soon.

She said Bangladesh by now fulfilled all conditions to becoming a developing country taking "our dignity one step forward".

The prime minister said the very word "lower" in any term did not befit a country which earned its independence in exchange for blood and "we must build Bangladesh as a middle income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041 Insha Allah".

She said Bangladesh could upgrade its status as a developing country as most countries of the region did.