Mother tongues need to be nurtured: DU VC

Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique at a programme yesterday said mother tongues of different communities across the world should be preserved showing respect for the cultural diversities worldwide.
The VC said this as the chief guest at the programme organised by Japanese Universities Alumni Association in Bangladesh (JUAAB) at the TSC auditorium to mark the International Mother Language Day.
There are languages which are transmitted through oral communications only, even they have no alphabets, he said, adding: “It should be the main task of the mother language day that we would be able to accumulate these languages from being lost with the passage of time.
Dr Arefin said, “Language acts as a bridge of communication and through learning other people's languages, we can show respect for their languages, culture and heritage.”
Such programme finds opportunity to admire the cross-cultural communications and understandings, he added.
Lauding the initiative of JUAAB, the VC said Bangla speech and singing competition participated by foreigners is really worthy of appreciation.
Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Masayuki Inoue highlighted the similarities between the cultures of Japan and Bangladesh, saying that this kind of programme that JUAAB has been celebrating for seven good years would enhance the bilateral relations.
He also paid tribute to the martyrs as well as language movement veterans who sacrificed their lives and fought for preserving Bangla as their state language.
International Mother Language Celebration Committee Convener Prof Md Anwar Hossain, JUAAB President Dr AKM Muazzem Hussain and General Secretary Dr Obaidul Islam also spoke.
Later, the programme was followed by a colourful cultural show and a language competition with the participants from Nepal, Japan and China.