International Mother Language Day commemorates a student protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1952. The students were protesting the government's decision to make Urdu the sole national language of Pakistan, disregarding the Bengali language spoken by most in East Pakistan. When police killed student demonstrators on February 21st, 1952, it sparked widespread unrest. The movement campaigned for the right to use their mother language of Bengali. In 1956, Bengali became an official language of Pakistan. To honor the movement and victims, a memorial was constructed. In 2000, the UN declared February 21st International Mother Language Day.

1. International Mother
Language Day

2. • When the state of Pakistan was formed in 1947, its two
regions, East Pakistan (also called East Bengal) and West
Pakistan, were split along cultural, geographical, and
linguistic lines.
• In 1948, the Government of Pakistan ordained Urdu as the
sole national language, sparking extensive protests among
the Bengali-speaking majority of East Pakistan.
• Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent with
the new law, the government outlawed public meetings and
rallies.

3. • The students of the University of Dhaka and other political
activists defied the law and organized a protest on 21
February 1952.
• The movement reached its climax when police killed
student demonstrators on that day.
• The deaths provoked widespread civil unrest.
• The unrest continued as Bengali speakers campaigned for
the right to use their mother language. Bengali became an
official language in Pakistan on February 29, 1956.

6. Amongst the Saheeds….

7. The Shaheed Minar monument was constructed near Dhaka Medical
College in memory of the movement and its victims.

8. Achievements
• On November 17, 1999, UNESCO proclaimed February 21 to be International
Mother Language Day and it was first observed on February 21, 2000.
• Each year the celebrations around International Mother Language Day
concentrate on a particular theme.
– 2000, Inaugural celebration of International Mother Language Day
– 2001, Second annual celebration
– 2002, Linguistic Diversity: 3,000 Languages in Danger (slogan: In the galaxy of languages, every word is
a star)
– 2003, Fourth annual celebration
– 2004, Children's learning (the observance at UNESCO included "a unique exhibition of children’s exercise
books from around the world illustrating the process by which children learn and master the use of written
literacy skills in the classroom")
– 2005, Braille and Sign languages
– 2006, Languages and Cyberspace
– 2007, Multilingual education
– 2008, International Year of Languages
– 2010, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures