Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinaon Wednesdayput utmost importance to greater practice and use of mother tongue Bangla as it is one of the world’s richest languages earned through the sacrifice of blood.

We’d to give blood to protect the dignity of our language. We’ve earned international recognition of this language which is a matter of big pride. We must not forget the practice and use of Bangla, she said while inaugurating a four-day long Amar Ekushey programme taken by International Mother Language Institute (IMLI) at the institute, reports the UNB.

The Prime Minister said the Bengalee nation will have to maintain its tradition and everything it has in its culture. We have to practise this and we have to learn this, she said.

Mentioning that Ekushey means not to bow down to anyone for the Bangalee nation, she said on February 21, the people of this country established the dignity of the language. Following the path of Ekushey, we attained our independence, she said.

Sheikh Hasina also mentioned that to destroy a nation, conspirators always strike its culture, language and literature. The Pakistani rulers did the same. As an outcome of the conspiracy, we won the Liberation War and put ourselves in a dignified position in the world arena as Bangalee nation, and we got our State, she said.

Greeting the Bangla-speaking people across the globe and other small linguistic groups on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, the Prime Minister said the international recognition of February 21 is a matter of great pride for the people of Bangladesh who set an example of supreme sacrifice to protect the dignity of their mother language.

She paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Language Movement and recalled the memories of the movement veterans as well as Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had played a marshal role in organising the Language Movement in 1952.

Hasina said Bangla is one of the richest languages of the world and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed the UN General Assembly in this language, taking it to a new height in the global arena.We’re following the footprint of Bangladeshu, she said, adding that she is also delivering speech in Bangla in the UNGA in her every presence.

The Prime Minister said her government established the IMLI in Dhaka, creating facilities for researchers from home and abroad to conduct their study and research works on mother languages.

Secretary of the Ministry of NationalCo-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages of Sri LankaWMPG Wickramasinghepresented the keynote paper at the programme with Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid in the chair.

State Minister for Technical and Madrasah Education DivisionKazi Keramat Ali, IMLI Director GeneralProf Dr Jinnat Imtiaz Ali,Head and Representative of Unesco in Dhaka office Beatrice Kaldun andSecondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Sohrab Hossainalso spoke on the occasion.

At the beginning of the discussion, a one-minute silence was observed as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Language Movement.