Every 21 February the world celebrates International Mother Language Day. Few know that it was born in Bangladesh: it commemorates the students killed in Dhaka on 21 February 1952 while demonstrating for Bengali to be recognised as an official language of what was then Pakistan.
Ekushey, “twenty-one”
In Bengali the day is simply called Ekushey, “twenty-one”. In Bangladesh it is a national day: at dawn thousands of people lay flowers at the Shaheed Minar, Dhaka’s monument to the language martyrs, singing “Amar bhaier rokte rangano Ekushey February”. In 1999 UNESCO proclaimed 21 February International Mother Language Day, celebrated worldwide since 2000.
In the diaspora
In cities with large Bangladeshi communities, Italy included, 21 February is a day to come together: symbolic Shaheed Minars are built, and readings, songs and school events are organised. It is a chance to talk to children born here about their parents’ language — and about the value of every language.
Mother tongue and Italian
Research on bilingualism shows that keeping the family language alive does not hinder learning Italian; it helps. Reading stories in Bengali at home and in Italian at school is a gift that lasts a lifetime.
