PM opens centre of all mother languages

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the International Mother Language Institute at Segunbagicha in the city yesterday. On her left is Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid.Photo: PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday inaugurated the International Mother Language Institute and said the institute will contribute to preservation of all languages of the world.
After unveiling the institute's plaque at Segun Bagicha, she said, "The main objective of constructing the institute is to practise different languages, conduct research on them and save languages which are on the brink of extinction."
The premier said her government wants to make it an autonomous institution with modern facilities for research, and sought cooperation of litterateurs, language researchers and people in this regard.
"The institute will not stand as a mere building," she said adding that it will have a world-standard library enriched with books on all languages.
There will be a database system which will contain audiovisuals of languages even those which are now extinct or about to extinct, she added.
Without mentioning any names, she thanked the party who had come to power in 2001, as she would not get the chance to inaugurate the institute if the then government had completed the construction.
"Questions can be asked if those people, who do not pay respect to their mother tongue and culture, are real Bangladeshis or do they believe in the country's independence, art, culture and heritage. If they are Bangladeshis, why had they stopped the construction?" the premier said.
She said the government wants to formulate a policy to prevent any wrongdoings centring the institute in the future.
The first phase of the institute has been completed and soon the government will start the work of the second phase.
Hasina announced the government will continue its efforts to obtain Bangla as one of the official languages of the United Nations.
She also announced her government's plan to turn the entire area including Dhaka University, Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Uddyan into a culture zone.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid presided over the function while Vice-Chancellor of University of Liberal Arts Prof Rafiqul Islam and Education Secretary Syed Ataur Rahman, among others, spoke on the occasion.