Bangla earned world recognition for AL: PM

The Awami League also earned world recognition for Bangla in 1999 and the party's role on both the occasions is pride for it, she said.

"We are proud of Bangla being our mother language. It's also a pride for us that our sacrifice for the language has earned it world recognition," she said.

Sheikh Hasina was addressing a discussion organized by Awami League (AL) on International Mother Language Day at Krishibid Institution at Khamarbari in the city.

The Prime Minister said, Bangabandhu first glorified Bangla language by delivering his speech in the UN General Assembly in 1974 in Bangla. Following the footprints of Bangabandhu, Awami League always worked with devotion for enriching the language and establishing the language in the world arena, she said.

Paying her rich tributes to the martyrs of the Language Movement, she said, the language martyrs have given us the right to call our mother and motherland in our own language.

Terming language as one of the important tools for existence and progress of a nation, Sheikh Hasina said, the Pakistani rulers hit our language and wanted to impose a foreign one as they could understand the matter.

"Colonial rulers wanted to establish that Urdu was the language of Islam while Bangali is the language of Hindus," she said, adding Bangabandhu had launched the arduous struggle for the very existence of the Bengali nation through the language movement.

The Prime Minister said, Bangladesh, as the hub of language movement has shouldered great responsibility to protect the language now on the verge extinction. The International Mother Language Institute has been set up for research and for giving support to protect the languages of different ethnic minorities and small groups, she said.

About the current political situation, the Prime Minister said, "BNP frequently call us an illegal government. I will ask Khaleda Zia what was the legitimacy of the government of Ziaur Rahman in 1977."

Urging Begum Zia to shun all destructive activities and spread falsehood against the Awami League government, she said, Begum Zia has to take the responsibility of destructive activities of her partymen in the name of movement to foil the national election.

"I will ask Begum Zia not to speak anymore about movement. Her movement is only meant for mounting sufferings of the people which only leads to killings, arson and hurling of patrol bombs and damage to public property," she said.

Criticizing BNP leaders for giving false statements on Upazila elections, the Prime Minister said, BNP is taking part in the Upazila elections though they never believed in this particular system of local government.

BNP dissolved the Upazila councils after taking office in 1991. But, they are now taking part in the upazila elections, she said adding BNP even had said that the party would not join any election under the Awami League government.

"Despite their victory in the highest number of seats, BNP is not satisfied with the results. She sees everything illegal as her party's emergence was illegal," Sheikh Hasina said.

Pointing out the demolition of Shahid Minar in Kushtia by the anti-liberation force, Matia Chowdhury said, the incident proves that the ghosts of evil forces of 1952 are still active in the country.

Prof. Arefin Suddiqui said, Ekushey is an endless inspiration for us as well as a great lesson to inspire people with the spirit of nationalism and patriotism.

"It is our duty to ensure access to education for every citizen to materialize the spirit of immortal Ekushey," he said laying importance on uniform education system for every citizen.

Source: BSS & other news sources