Every year on February 21, Bangladesh pauses in solemn remembrance and quiet pride on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
Ekushey is not merely a date on the calendar; it is the moral cornerstone of our nationhood. Born out of the blood and courage of young students in 1952, the Language Movement asserted a simple but profound truth: That our right to speak our mother tongue is inseparable from our dignity, identity, and freedom.
When the then Pakistani authorities sought to impose Urdu as the sole state language, the brave students and protesters took to the streets. Their defiance was met with bullets, but the martyrs of February 21 transformed a simple demand into a political awakening, laying the foundation for the liberation struggle that would culminate in 1971.
In recognition of this historic sacrifice, UNESCO’s declaration of February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999 elevated a national memory into a global call to protect linguistic diversity.
For Bangladesh, however, the day carries a deeper resonance: Our language is not only a medium of communication, but the vessel of our culture, and our collective memory.
Bangla has shaped our imagination and sharpened our conscience, and to defend Bangla was to defend our right to exist as a people with a distinct culture and history.
This year, the observance falls during Ramadan -- a month of reflection, restraint, and spiritual renewal -- and the convergence is an opportunity for all of us to reflect not only on respective faiths, but on gratitude and collective responsibility.
Just as Ramadan calls for self-discipline and moral clarity, Ekushey calls for historical consciousness. Both remind us that identity is nurtured through remembrance and sacrifice.
The day also arrives in the wake of recent national elections, a reminder that the democratic aspirations born 74 years ago remain an unfinished project.
The Language Movement was, at its core, a demand for representation and recognition. It challenged exclusion and insisted that the voices of the majority be heard.
As a nation navigating political transitions and rapid economic and technological change, we must ensure that the spirit of Ekushey -- courage in the face of injustice and unity in diversity -- informs our civic life.
Bangladesh today stands at a crossroads of remarkable transformation: Digital innovation, urban expansion, and global integration are reshaping our society at an unprecedented speed.
While progress is essential, forgetting the past can be dangerous. A nation that loses touch with its roots risks losing its sense of identity.
Preserving our language in education, administration, and cultural life is not a rejection of globalization; it is an assertion of confidence. Multilingual competence can coexist with deep reverence for one’s mother tongue.
On this International Mother Language Day, let us recommit to safeguarding our linguistic and cultural heritage. Let us teach our future generations not only how to build a prosperous nation, but also why February 21 can never be forgotten in the pursuit of progress.
By preserving our language, we honour the sacrifices that defined us, and affirm that a Bangladesh rooted in its history will confidently shape its own future.
