21 February is the International Mother Language, which is being observed by UNESCO and its 193 member countries across the globe every year since 2000. Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Karachi also organized a program on the significance of the day at its Chancery on the evening on 21 February 2023.
The United Nations’ specialized organization, UNESCO observes the day every year in a befitting manner. International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 17 November 1999. The Member States of UNESCO have been observing the 21 February as ‘International Mother Language Day” since 2000. The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution of 2002. On 16 May 2007, the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”.
UNESCO observed International Mother Language Day-2023 with the theme “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”. In a message from the Director-General of UNESCO, Madam Audrey Azoulay said that mother-tongue-based education is essential to the full development of individuals and the transmission of linguistic heritage. She further mentioned that 40% of the world’s students do not have access to education in the language they speak or understand best.
She expressed her concern by saying “such as situation severely undermines learning, cultural expression, and the building of social relations, and significantly weakens the linguistic heritage of humanity”. She emphasized that International Mother Language Day aims to celebrate the ways of expressing the world in its multiplicity, commit to the preservation of the diversity of languages as a common heritage, and work for quality education – in mother tongues – for all.
Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Karachi H.E. Mr. S. M. Mahbubul Alam delivered his speech on the significance of the day. Vice Chancellors, Deans, Professors, Researchers, and other distinguished academicians from 22 different universities were present at the program. The Universities are Karachi University, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Dewan University, SZABIST University, Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Salim Habib University, Preston Institute of Management, Science & Technology, AGA Khan University, KASBIT University, Nazeer Hussain University, Newports Institute of Economics & Technology, Greenwich University, DHA Suffa University, Institute of Business Administration, DOW University of Health Sciences, Habib University, IQRA University, Metropolitan University, ILMA University, SZABUL University, and Bahria University.
