International Mother Language Day, celebrated on 21 February, This is a special day celebrated in all Bengali-speaking regions, including Bangladesh, Tripura, and West Bengal.
International mother language day:
Today, February 21, is ‘International Mother Language Day’. This day is a day filled with glorious memories of the Bengali people’s language movement. It is celebrated worldwide on 21st February every year as per the decision taken by the United Nations on 17th November 1999.
This special event honors the role of language in linguistic diversity, cultural heritage, and identity formation. It encourages the world to appreciate and protect linguistic diversity for future generations.
Theme Of International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day 2025 theme is: “Languages Matter: Silver Jubilee Celebration of International Mother Language Day.”
International Mother Language Day 2025: History Behind It
The history behind International Mother Language Day dates back to 1947 when India gained independence. After this, the language problem arose in the subcontinent. In 1948, Pakistan declared Urdu as its sole official language. However, Bengali was the main spoken language in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), which led to protests.
On February 21, 1952, students of Dhaka University in Bangladesh strongly opposed this decision to protect their mother tongue, Bengali. Despite the government banning gatherings, the protest grew bigger as many people joined in to protect their language. On February 21, four young men, Rafiq, Salam, Barkat and Abdul Jabbar, were killed in police firing during the Language Movement.
As the news of the brutal murder spread like wildfire that day, protests erupted all over East Pakistan, especially Dhaka city. On the morning of February 22, black flags were hoisted everywhere in the Dhaka University area. The largest mourning procession in history was taken out in Dhaka on that day.
To honor their sacrifice and promote the importance of the mother tongue, UNESCO established International Mother Language Day on November 17 in 1999. Then, on October 21, 2010, at the 65th session of the United Nations, Bangladesh proposed to observe International Mother Language Day on February 21 every year, which was unanimously accepted.
International Mother Language Day 2025: Quotes
- “A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers.” – César Chávez
- “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” – Rita Mae Brown
- “To have another language is to possess a second soul.” – Charlemagne
- “Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations.” – Nelson Mandela
- “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” – Frank Smith
- “Languages are living things. They change, they grow, they die.” – Elie Wiesel