[🇧🇩] 21st February---Our Language Movement Day

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Three individuals, institution receive International Mother Language Award

The International Mother Language Award has been presented to three recipients this year, including two individuals and one institution. Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus handed over the awards at the International Mother Language Institute on Friday afternoon, in celebration of the Martyrs’ Day

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Three individuals, institution receive International Mother Language Award
bdnews24.com
Published :
Feb 21, 2025 21:40
Updated :
Feb 21, 2025 21:40

The International Mother Language Award has been presented to three recipients this year, including two individuals and one institution.

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus handed over the awards at the International Mother Language Institute on Friday afternoon, in celebration of the Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day.

Linguist and language researcher Abul Mansur Muhammad Abu Musa was recognised for his contributions to the preservation, revival, and advancement of mother language.

British poet Joe Winter was honoured for his translations of Rabindranath Tagore and Jibanananda Das and his efforts in promoting and globalising the Bengali language.

The Bangladesh mission in Paris was awarded the International Mother Language Award for its leading role in securing the recognition of Feb 21 as the International Mother Language Day, based on the history of the Bengali language movement.

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin accepted the award on behalf of the embassy.

Each recipient was presented with an 18-carat gold medal weighing 35g, a certificate of honour, and Tk 400,000 or its equivalent in dollars.

In addition, winners of the Linguistic Olympiad were awarded certificates during the ceremony.

In recognition of the Bengali people’s struggle for the official status of the Bengali language in 1952, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or UNESCO, declared Feb 21 as the International Mother Language Day on Nov 17, 1999.

The International Mother Language National Award and the International Mother Language International Award are presented by the International Mother Language Institute under the Ministry of Education.

These awards recognise individuals, institutions and organisations for their contributions to the practice, preservation, development and research of the mother language.​

 

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Is Bangla prepared for the future?

We fail to realise that while there is emotional value in constructing a platform of the past, there is hardly any room for sentiment and emotion in the daily struggles of the real world. A language must be prepared to face the future, must compete with other languages, must struggle against...

en.prothomalo.com

Is Bangla prepared for the future?
The question is, how prepared for the future is the Bangla language? What is the condition of our institutional initiatives to learn and teach Bangla? How far have the government's efforts proceeded to creating a nexus between the Bangla language and technology? Is Bangladesh about to face any new threat ahead?

Sumon Sajjad
Updated: 21 Feb 2025, 18: 01

Central Shaheed Minar File photo

There is a sense of nationalistic emotion and pride attached to the history of the Bangla language. But this retrospective tendency has held us back from comprehending issues pertaining to the advance of the language. We fail to realise that while there is emotional value in constructing a platform of the past, there is hardly any room for sentiment and emotion in the daily struggles of the real world.

A language must be prepared to face the future, must compete with other languages, must struggle against the cultural and socioeconomic challenges. Back in the day Bangladesh was relinquished from the dominance of English. Then there was the struggle against Urdu. Then, when needed, compromise had to be made with Arabic, Farsi, English, Urdu and Hindi. Or else, the very structure of Bangladesh would not have been created.

The question is, how prepared for the future is the Bangla language? What is the condition of our institutional initiatives to learn and teach Bangla? How far have the government's efforts proceeded to creating a nexus between the Bangla language and technology? Is Bangladesh about to face any new threat ahead?

We see a threat ahead in the form of the neo-domination of the English language. English has an extremely strong impact on Bangladesh. English has become the major language of globalisation and new technologies. New media and English are inextricably linked. As consumers of cultural components and content, the Bangla language populace is obliged to enter this language sphere. Most of the massive content churned out continuously on Facebook and YouTube is English-dependent. So naturally this leaves a mark on the audience.

Such content and translation basically are artificially generated. The words are Bangla, but the sentence composition is in English style. Sometimes the syntax is fine, but the application of words is inappropriate. There are spelling errors galore
As a result, English continues to dominate over Bangla. A propensity has developed to unnecessarily use English words in place of Bangla. This is increasing both in writing and speaking. English words and phrases are working their way into Bangla syntax. The fallout is that it is normalising the use of English and the mindset to choose alternative English expressions. It is not as if Bangla is inadequate to express one's thoughts. On the contrary, the failure to use Bangla is harming the natural application of the language.

Bangla is facing yet another danger and that is the use of AI to write and translate in Bangla. In recent times many students have been resorting to ChatGPT to write in Bangla, producing their written material in no time at all. Some are using Google translator to translate from English to Bangla. Even school children are resorting to the same.

Such content and translation basically are artificially generated. The words are Bangla, but the sentence composition is in English style. Sometimes the syntax is fine, but the application of words is inappropriate. There are spelling errors galore. Back in the 19th century, the English scholars of Fort William College or the Srirampur Mission would write such Bangla. We don't want to see a repetition of such weak Bangla written by those whose language is Bangla. We don't want to see the future generation being trapped in such a cage of Bangla either. If we don't want that, then we must prepare accordingly.

We need a language commission. The task of the commission, comprising language experts, linguists, researchers, academics, language technologists and government representatives, will be to take the prevailing state of the language into cognizance and come up with a language policy.

Recently I was aghast when I opened a translated book on folklore. Due to weak mechanical translation into Bangla, the entire content had a stamp of English. I was equally shocked to read a feature in a Bangla daily where the writer had resorted to artificial translation support.

AI influence is impacting the thoughts and writing processes of students and writers. Technology-dependency is ruining creative Bangla writing that springs from the imagination. Without using our primary faculties, we simply embark on the use of ChatGPT, and so relevant and essential words are not being stored in our memory banks, we are not building up our vocabulary. The concept of copyright and author's exclusive rights are diminishing.

Does that mean we can overlook technological realities? Possibly not. We must accept new technology and deal with the emerging problems. We have to take Bangla to technology, have to make Bangla dictionaries, spelling rules and grammar easily accessible. More effective than pdf versions of Bangla dictionaries would be a website where you can select your word, check synonyms, look into the roots of the word, its applications, both old and contemporary.

Technology should be used to prepare the scope of teaching and learning Bangla. The steady development of technology makes it easy to understand that the languages of the world will draw close to each other. The language which can use technology to strengthen itself will be able to boost its competence more. According to Duolingo, the institution of language-learning technology, in the Covid situation, Spanish became the second-most language for study. Technology had a positive role to play in this regard.

We can think of games and apps dedicated to Bangla learning. We can think of online editions of Bangla grammar which local and non-local people can consult as needed and to clear up confusions in one's own writing. But the question is, who will do this? Do we have any language planning? The answers are in the negative.

The national education policy does have certain sections and sub-sections on language. In 2024 a policy was formulated for AI. It speaks of clearing language hindrances by means of AI. But Bangladesh has no language policy. But a language cannot growth without a policy and planning. It will not be possible to prevent intellectual thought being taken over by artificial intelligence. Over all, Bangla is not prepared for the future.

We need a language commission. The task of the commission, comprising language experts, linguists, researchers, academics, language technologists and government representatives, will be to take the prevailing state of the language into cognisance and come up with a language policy. This policy will deal with the present use and scope of the language. And priority will be given to Bangla appropriate for the future.

• Sumon Sajjad is a professor of the Bangla department at Jahangirnagar University.
• This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir

 

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We need literature for all people, in all languages

In Bangladesh, visually challenged people have little access to the rich world of literature, an exclusion that limits their ability to experience the joy of storytelling.

www.thedailystar.net

We need literature for all people, in all languages

If each publisher in Bangladesh publishes at least one book in Braille every year, visually challenged readers will be able to enjoy more literature. FILE PHOTO: PRABIR DAS

In Bangladesh, visually challenged people have little access to the rich world of literature, an exclusion that limits their ability to experience the joy of storytelling. To counter this, Sparsha Braille Foundation has taken an admirable step: they are publishing books in Braille to break this barrier. This initiative, which has seen the publication of around 150 Braille books already, is indeed commendable. But the question remains: why are more publishers not stepping up like this? Why should the visually challenged readers—termed "sight winners" by Sparsha—be deprived of the magical world of literature? How long will it take for us to understand that they should be able to read books beyond textbooks?

Nazia Jabeen, Sparsha's chief entrepreneur, has been championing the cause for 16 years. "Every book should be published in print, Braille, and audio," she insists. Yet, despite this plea, the country's publishing industry has so far been largely non-responsive. Publishers must recognise their responsibility to reach all readers. Thousands of books are published every year. If each publisher publishes at least one book in Braille, then visually challenged people will be able to enjoy more literature.

Exclusion of people with disabilities from literature, entertainment, and sports is still concerning in Bangladesh, reflecting that we are still not thoughtful enough about enhancing the quality of life of the disadvantaged. This realisation struck me powerfully when I visited the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show in Australia and encountered a garden named "Through the Keyhole." This garden, designed by James Dawson, was created for the visually impaired, the shortsighted, and the sighted alike. Every detail encouraged engagement through all senses—fragrant herbs for smell, fountains for sound, fruit and vegetable gardens for taste, and textured structures for touch. So, it was possible for a person with limited vision to celebrate the beauty of the garden to the fullest, as they could experience it through smell, sound, taste, and touch. It was a testament to the fact that if we design society with inclusiveness in mind, remarkable things are possible.

This need for inclusivity extends beyond disability. It also encompasses linguistic diversity. Literature is a vessel for culture, identity, and heritage. Yet in Bangladesh, the literary landscape still remains overwhelmingly dominated by Bangla. According to the book Bangladesher Nanan Bhasha (Different Languages of Bangladesh), by Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman, at least 37 languages are spoken across the country. He presented the alphabets of various languages, including Kokborok, Khasi, Garo, Chak, Chakma, Tanchangya, Bom, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Marma, Mro, Rakhine, and Santal. There are also poems written in those languages and their Bangla translations. The languages are arranged in alphabetical order in the index, showing the equal importance of all languages. According to the author, "February 21 speaks of all languages—that belief is the motivation and inspiration of this book."

Languages of Indigenous groups carry centuries of stories, songs, and traditions. How often do we see their literature in print? How many of these works are translated into Bangla, allowing a wider audience to appreciate them? The answer is dishearteningly few.

Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary at the Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, reminds us of the gravity of this crisis, "Language survives in literature. When a language loses its literary presence, it is at the risk of disappearing altogether. Already, 14 languages in Bangladesh are on the brink of extinction."

Recently, I came across a book featuring Mro fairy tales with Bangla translations. The experience was eye-opening. The simplicity of the storytelling, layered with profound meaning, was a stark reminder of what we stand to lose without efforts to preserve and promote Indigenous literature—we are depriving ourselves of a richer, more diverse literary tradition.

This exclusion is not just a matter of ignorance, but also of systemic neglect. Misconceptions—often unintentional—about Indigenous languages and cultures lead to marginalisation. Literature can serve as a bridge, fostering understanding, empathy, and a shared sense of humanity.

We eagerly consume foreign literature in English or their Bangla translations, yet we show little curiosity about the literature written in our country's Indigenous languages. Should we not be equally invested in exploring our own linguistic heritage? The role of institutions is crucial here. The cultural affairs ministry, for instance, should push for a greater representation of Indigenous literature. Bangla Academy and the International Mother Language Institute should take the lead in publishing works in Indigenous languages and translating them into Bangla.

Readers can also play a role by demanding and supporting such publications. Universities can play their part as well. While many public universities offer foreign language courses, none of them has dedicated departments for Indigenous languages. This must change if we are to preserve our linguistic heritage.

According to UNESCO, 3,000 languages worldwide are at risk of disappearing by the end of this century. In response, the United Nations declared 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, aiming to preserve endangered languages and ensure linguistic rights through global cooperation. If we do not act now, we risk losing parts of our cultural identity forever.

Sparsha's slogan resonates deeply, "Humans are not blind due to lack of vision; humans are blind because of lack of wisdom." Will we remain blind to the need for inclusiveness in literature? If we truly believe in a just and equitable society, we must ensure that literature belongs to everyone, regardless of disability or language.

Laila Khondkar is an international development worker.​

 

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Bangla or Bengali: which should be used?

Why not use the word Bangla globally, instead of “Bengali?”

www.thedailystar.net

Bangla or Bengali: which should be used?

Visual: STAR

Bangla is what we native Bangalees call the language. And so that is what it should be known as. Just like Hindi, Urdu, or Tamil. So why not use the word Bangla globally, instead of "Bengali?" After all it's a proper noun that can't really be translated. Besides this is not just any language. Bangla has a glorious past. In fact, to show respect to our Language Movement of 1952, the International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21 or as we call it Ekushey February. Bangla enjoys the rare distinction of being a language that gave rise to a movement that ultimately paved the way towards a liberation war. Proponents will also point out that Bengali is derived from Bengal, which itself is rooted in the British colonial era anglicisation. Surely, a language so steeped with the legacy of freedom should by all means seek to shed this burden and be known by its native name.

That should be the end of the debate really. But not quite.

Languages have their own conventions and customs. Each language has its unique way of referring to countries as well as their languages depending on how the words evolved. For instance, Türkiye (pronounced tur-key-eh, or Turkey in English) is called Turoshko in Bangla. England is Bilaat, and London we call Bilet! The language is Ingreji. We have adopted names of most other countries from the vocabulary of our colonial masters. It is always Ireland, Sweden, or Spain, never Éire, Sverige, or España. We never say Deutsch or Français, but German and, perhaps, Forashi, if not French. And yes, those wiggly things do make a huge difference in pronunciation.

But does this Banglicisation (or, if we insist on "Bangla," should it be Bangalification?—this brings up another point that we will get to shortly) of Français make any difference to the spirit of the French Revolution? Not adopting Ruuski and sticking to the Bangla Ruush, hardly erodes the magic of Pushkin's poetry. Or does it mean we are being insensitive? Should the Swedes or the French take offence?

On the other hand, however, if the French were to insist we retain their native name, it would be a nightmare for most to pronounce and we have not even broached the native languages of Africa full of clicks. But if others were to tell us how we should write the names of their languages and countries in Bangla, it would certainly rub us the wrong way.

And more importantly, communication would become difficult. We would not be able to convey which language or country we mean, without explanations and annotations, if one were to suddenly start referring to them by the native names deserting the customary ones.

Another problem that arises from foisting a word upon another language is that it will entail invention of a whole new range of vocabulary. For instance, if it is Bangla, how do I express my Bengaliness? Or would it be Bangaliness or Bangaliana? Banglicisation or Bengalification? Do we then start saying, "O my golden Bangla" abandoning the age-old translation "O my golden Bengal?" Do the Sundarban tigers then become Royal Bangla Tigers? And what of the East Bengal Regiments or, for that matter, the Bengal Lancers from the colonial era? And let's not forget the "Bay of Bangla." But these are examples from the fringe. We really don't need to overthink it. So long as they call the language Bangla, we are happy, one might say.

But who are they? Perhaps, in our strong desire to shed the colonial anglicisation, we are rather fixated with the English terms. We are hardly bothered with what they call us in Mandarin, Kiswahili, or Russian. So long as we can set the English speakers straight and get them to say Bangla instead of Bengali, it would be considered a job well done.

Use of "Bangla" is indeed gaining more currency, especially in Bangladesh, although not as much on the other side of the border—India's West Bengal, where people speak the same language but still stick to the traditional English name—Bengali.

The purpose of language is to communicate efficiently and towards that end, languages have a life of their own. They tend to adopt the most effective lingo as they gain currency or abandon words as they go out of fashion. So long as people speak them, languages keep evolving. There are always different forces at play. The traditional pull factors and the youthful push factors together shape the course of languages. Which is probably why, a Big Mac and a weekend are just "le Big Mac" and "le weekend" in France.

But that is not a reason to let up and relent. Let "Bangla" be our little project. We will keep pushing for it till we get everyone to say it right.

Tanim Ahmed is digital editor at The Daily Star.​

 

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Evolution of the Dhakaiya Bangla

Tracing the roots of Old Dhaka's unique dialect

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Evolution of the Dhakaiya Bangla

Photo: Star

The evolution of language is a continuous progression, flowing with civilisation through the ages. Languages develop and change as big cosmopolitans and metropolitan cities become melting pots of ethnicity, culture, and diversity. This mix of people gives their own accent and dialect to the native language of the city they all migrate to, seeking a living.

Now, this was quite a big thought for me to contemplate. I sat down with scholar and researcher Hashem Sufi, who, among other things, is a life member of Bangla Academy, Asiatic Society, founder trustee of Dhaka Nagar Jadughar, and CEO of Dhaka History Research Centre, to talk about "Dhakaiya Bangla". I wanted to know how this popular accent and dialect came about.

"To know how Bangla evolved in Dhaka, the dateline of its history is very important," he says.

Dhaka is more than 2,000 years old, and was always a hub of trade that attracted many kings and their armies to come and rule. 750AD to 1160AD Dhaka was a Buddhist Janapad or habitation. Then, from 1160AD to 1229 AD, it was under the Sen dynasty.

The Sultanate dynasty, spanning from 1229AD to 1608AD came from Central Asia such as Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Afghanistan and Pakhtoonkhoa. Persian was their Lingua Franca (common or spoken language) besides their own individual Mother Languages and Arabic was their religious language.

Followed by the Mughal dynasty from 1608AD to 1757AD, however, 1757 to 1857 was a dual period of Mughal rule and the East India Company. So, historians refer to that time frame as company rule. 1857 to 1947 was solely British rule and then, up until 1971, it was under Pakistani rule.

So many conquests and such diversification of religion, linguistics, and background took the Bangla lingua through a checkered trajectory, as is the nature of any multi-ethnic, multi-cultural urbanisation.

"The Mughals and British royals sponsored Urdu as their spoken and written language, while general people spoke in Bangla and established 'Hindustani' as the Lingua Franca, which was neither Urdu nor Arabic or Persian. Hindustani was colloquial and informal, without any grammar, and it was adopted between speakers whose native languages were different. The East India Company mostly used Hindustani as their trade and travel language.

"Thus, Mughals introduced Hindi and Urdu languages as Lingua Franca of India. British introduced Hindustani as new Lingua Franca. Dhakaiya Hindustani and not Urdu and Dhakaiya Bangla were the colloquial and dialects of Dhakaiyas, the original inhabitants of Dhaka," Hashem Sufi explains.

Ancholik Dhakaiya Bangla is an impromptu linguistic mix of many languages and sub-languages.

Examples of Dhakaiya accent include; "koi gechili?" (where did you go?), "baith gechilam" (I went home), baith, meaning house, is a pure Arabic word, "ami bi or bhi" (me too) is from Hindustan, "mogor" (but) is "magar" from Persian, and so on. Around 75 percent of people in Dhaka today are outsiders, people from other districts or pocket zones, bringing in their regional language, and adding their accent and pronunciation to the dialect.

The Bangla language was developed during the Sultanate dynasty. Allauddin Hossain Shah sponsored Bangla, though the state language then was Persian.

Now, a clarification is needed regarding the misinformation and wrongly put general perception circling around Dhakaiya Kutti and Dhakaiya Bangla.

Dhakaiya Kutti, as defined generally in texts, was said to be the house help of the Nawabs or brick layers, but from a research aspect, these versions are not true. Kuttis were a group of separate professionals.

"In 1770, during the famine caused by the political and administrative failure of East India Company, millions couldn't eat and migrated to Dhaka. However, they could not join the mainstream workforce, which was dominated by local Muslims and Hindus then, who did not want to share or teach their professional expertise or secrecy with these new migrants. Since these people were farmers, the merchants who exported the rice employed them to clean the husk from the grains by using dhekis or rice pounders, and this process is called kuta in Bangla. And so, the term Kutti," Sufi explained.

"While going through East India Company records in the British Library during 1986, I stumbled upon many facts that were known, but distorted or not even known," Sufi added.

And so, one of my most memorable evenings ended with cups of milk tea, crumb chops, and a visit to old publishing houses in Bangla Bazar, dotted with Hashem Sufi's brand of witty sarcasm.​