Bangla Should Be UN Official Language: Saber

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury today said Bangla should be made one of the official languages of the United Nations (UN).

"Bangla is the sixth largest language in the world in terms of the number of native speakers. Bangla language movement activists have inspired language rights movements around the world," he said.

The environment minister made the remarks while talking to journalists after paying tribute to language martyrs at Central Shaheed Minar on behalf of his ministry, marking the Language Day and International Mother Language Day.

Mentioning that the sacrifices of the language martyrs are invaluable to the world, he said Bangladesh is now an independent and a democratic country, standing high before the world, inspired by their sacrifices.

Saber said the language martyrs did not only establish Bangla as one of the state languages, but also made an invaluable contribution to the establishment of Bangalee national identity and dignity, while they strengthened the unity and solidarity of the Bangalee nation and sowed the seeds of love and respect for the mother tongue.

"We must be respectful to Bangla language and culture to show respect for them. The mother tongue should be promoted at all levels," he said.

"We all have to work for environmental protection by remembering the memory of the language martyrs," the minister added.

Environment Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Administration) of the ministry Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (Environment) Dr Fahmida Khanom, Chairman of Forest Industries Development Corporation Md Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury and Additional Director General of Department of Environment (DoE) Kazi Abu Taher, among others, were present on the occasion.

Earlier in the morning, the environment minister also paid homage to the language martyrs along with the teachers and students of Khilgaon Girls School and College.