Bangkok: ‘Amar Ekushey has not only earned Banglaees their right to speak in mother tongue Bangla, but also remained a ceaseless inspiration in our War of Liberation in 1971 to emerge as a secular, tolerant and inclusive State under the visionary leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’, said Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UNESCAP Saida Muna Tasneem, at a special event organised on Tuesday morning by Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok in joint collaboration with UNESCO, Asia Pacific Regional Bureau, on the occasion of Bangladesh Language Martyrs Day and  International Mother Language Day 2017.

Ambassador Tasneem informed the event that Bangladesh under the diplomatic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has not only brought international recognition for  Amar Ekushey February at the UNESCO General Conference in 1999, but also pioneered the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka in March 2001 for preservation of thousands of mother languages and promotion of multilingualism.

The Ambassador read out messages issued by Bangladesh President and Prime Minister on the occasion.

This was the first time that the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day was observed at a regional level at the UNESCAP attended by Regional Director of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Bureau, ESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary, ambassadors or permanent representatives of more than 20 countries including India, Russia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Portugal, Panama, Hungary, Iran, Egypt, Oman, Australia, Bhutan etc. and various international organisations including UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCAP, UNEP, IOM, UNHCR, ICRC, World Bank, UNCDF and Senior officials of Thai Foreign Ministry and Vice President of Thailand’s eminent Chulalongkorn University.

Large numbers of Bangladesh expatriate community living in Thailand also attended the Bangla Language Martyrs Day event at the UNESCAP.  UNICEF Chief of Education Hugh Delaney made a presentation on mother language and SDG4.

While reading out the message of UNESCO Director General, issued on the occasion of International Mother Language Day at the special event, Gwang Jo Kim, Regional Director of UNESCO, Asia Pacific Bureau, praised Bangladesh for its leadership role in the proclamation of International Mother Language at UNESCO General Conference in 1999 and pledged UNESCO’s institutional support to capacity building of the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka. UNESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary Hongjoo Hahm reaffirmed UNESCAP’s commitment to promote and expand ESCAP’s programmes on cultural diversity and inclusive social development in the Asia and the Pacific.

A colorful multilingual cultural programme in Bangla and five languages of the UN, including Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, English, was organised at the event on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day by Bangladesh Embassy which was participated by Bangladesh expatriate community in Thailand, and cultural delegations from Republic of India, Russian Federation, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of),  Arab Republic of Egypt,  Panama, South Korea, United Kingdom and other ESCAP member States. All member States of ESCAP present at the occasion praised Bangladesh for its role in creating awareness about the need for preservation of mother languages for attaining sustainable development goal 4.