DHAKA, Feb 22, 2025 (BSS) - The Silver Jubilee of the
International Mother Language Day (IMLD) was celebrated at the
Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN in New York on Friday
with due fervor in the presence of a significant number of ambassadors
and diplomats from different countries and high officials from the UN
Secretariat.

Under Secretary General for UN Global Communications Melissa
Fleming attended the programme as the chief guest.

In his welcome remarks, Bangladesh Permanent Representative
Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury paid deep tribute to the
language martyrs’ for establishing the Bangla as a state language in
1952.

He also thanked the UNESCO for their initiative to connect
multilingualism with sustainable social development.

Under Secretary General for UN Global Communications and all
other speakers acknowledged with deep appreciation, the leadership
role of Bangladesh in achieving the proclamation of a day dedicated to
mother language.

They also recognized the importance of mother tongue-based
multilingual education as the foundation for continued learning and
development.

The programme was also attended by Professor Francis M. Hult,
Chair of NGO Committee on Language and Languages, Lily Gray,
representative from UNESCO and Anne Lafebar, representative of UN
Coordinator for Multilingualism.

Earlier in the morning, the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh
observed the Martyrs Day and the International Mother Language Day
with due solemnity on the Mission’s premises.

During the event, messages from the Honourable Chief Adviser and
the Adviser for Foreign Affairs were read-out by the Mission officials.