22 March 2022, Paris:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted a decision to commemorate the silver jubilee of the International Mother Language Day. The decision proposed by Bangladesh was unanimously adopted today during the 219^th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board with co-sponsorship of 63 Member States.

Through this decision, the Executive Board has requested UNESCO to undertake commemorative activities on 21 February 2025 at the UNESCO headquarter and its field offices worldwide. The Board also requested the Member States to celebrate the Day at their respective capitals.

Alongside the call to commemorate the silver jubilee, the decision also stressed on the need to protect and promote sign languages as a form of mother language. This historic decision at UNESCO has further strengthened the global call to recognize different forms of sign languages as mother language as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Person with Disabilities.

Bangladesh Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Ambassador Khondker M Talha has thanked the UNESCO Member States for their support during the process of adoption. The Bangladesh envoy has also highlighted the unwavering commitment of Bangladesh under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to protect and promote all the mother languages of the world. With the recognition of mother language at the decision would eventually contribute to making mother language inclusive and an impetus to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, he believes. He further added that the decision is a remarkable achievement of Bangladesh’s continued public diplomacy.

It may be mentioned that the Bangladesh Missions around the globe observes the International Mother Language Day with their respective hosts and Bangladesh communities.

The UNESCO General Conference proclaimed 21 February as the International Mother Language Day in 1999 recognizing the supreme sacrifices made by Bangladesh for the rights to speak in mother language on the same date in 1952, which the decision reiterated.