United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has sent five certificates to Bangladesh endorsing the inscription of the historic 7th March Speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

UNESCO sent the certificates, signed by its director general, recently to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh through Bangladesh Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate of Bangladesh to UNESCO Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim informed reporters on Wednesday, reports the UNB.

Karim said the certificates will be handed over to five organisations which made outstanding contributions to achieving the recognition of the 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu as part of the World’s Documentary Heritage.

The organisations are the Information and Communication Technology Ministry, Bangladesh Betar, the Department of Film and Publications, the Liberation War Museum and Bangladesh Film Archive.

UNESCO has also sent a letter to this end to the Bangladesh Ambassador in Paris, the press secretary said.

In the letter, Boyan Radoykov, chief of section of Universal Access and Preservation of the UNESCO, said, ‘It’s my pleasure to inform you that upon the recommendation of the International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Programme, at its 13th meeting held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris (from 24 to 24 October 2017), the Director General has endorsed the inscription of the historic 7th March of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -1971.’

The letter also says the inclusion of this documentary heritage in the Memory of the World Register reflects its exceptional value and signifies that it should be protected for the benefit of humanity.

‘It also offers an excellent opportunity to draw attention to the importance of the collective memory and its safeguard to enable as many people as possible to have access to it,’ the letter reads.

UNESCO invited the Bangladesh Ambassador to commemorate its designation as part of the Memory of the World by affixing a plaque, which could be unveiled at a special ceremony at the Cultural Heritage Office, or by organising other celebratory events.

On October 30 last, UNESCO recognised the historic 7th March Speech of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as part of the world’s documentary heritage.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova announced the decision on the day at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

The 7th March speech of Bangabandhu has been included in the Memory of the World International Register, a list of the world’s important documentary heritage maintained by UNESCO.

The Memory of the World International Register is a list of documents having global significance. The objective of creating the International Register is to ensure preservation of, and access to, documentary heritage in various parts of the world.