Forgetting Bangla after February shameful: Kamal Lohani

Language movement veteran Kamal Lohani today lamented the “overuse” of other languages for official and business purposes instead of the proper use of Bangla in the country.

“At the end of February, we will stop showing our love to Bangla. This is our shameless behaviour,” he said while speaking at a rally in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area.

Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Goshti organised the programme demanding the introduction of Bangla in every sphere of life in the country.

After 65 years of the Language Movement and the 46 years of Liberation War, the demand for the introduction of Bangla in every sphere has been diminished, the noted cultural personality added.

Expressing frustrations over the lack of passion of student organisations to work for Bangla, Kamal Lohani said there is no scope of being overjoyed with the recognition of International Mother Language Day while the nation has remained unaware of the gradual disgrace of the language.

Lambasting the government for radicalising the textbooks, he said the “seeds of militancy were being sown as per a plan”.

He demanded inclusion of the writings of the writers including Rabindranath Tagore, Lalon Shah, Humayun Azad, and Satyen Sen, whose writings were "excluded" from the textbooks.

Kamal Lohani urged the government and businessmen to set up all billboards in Bangla instead of English before ‘Pahela Baishakh’, the first day of Bengali New Year.

He also urged the government to promote languages of ethnic minorities and requested all not to insult the people speaking other languages in Bangladesh.

Jamshed Anwar Tapan, general secretary of Udichi among others also spoke at the programme.