Tag: International Mother Language Day

Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association marks International Mother Language Day

The Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association (SBWA) recently organised a meaningful and well attended community event to honour the spirit of International Mother Language Day on 21 February, an occasion of profound historical and cultural significance for Bangladeshis around the world. 

Held at Bonnyrigg Guide Hall, the programme brought together community members of all ages in a thoughtful celebration that highlighted the importance of language, heritage, and collective wellbeing. The initiative was warmly received and widely praised as a timely and impactful effort to preserve cultural identity while promoting education and health awareness within the diaspora community. 

A central focus of the event was educating young people about the Bangla language and the historic legacy of Ekushey February. Attendees commended the organisers for prioritising youth engagement, recognising that such initiatives are vital for expanding knowledge, strengthening cultural awareness, and fostering intellectual growth among future generations.

Many participants expressed appreciation for the careful planning and meaningful content of the programme, noting its importance in preserving heritage abroad. 

The educational session was primarily led by Dr Amina, whose dedication and efforts were warmly acknowledged by attendees. Her contribution was described as insightful and inspiring, helping to reinforce the cultural and historical significance of International Mother Language Day. 

A key highlight of the programme was an interactive mental health session delivered by Dr Fahad. Addressing members of the Bangladeshi community in clear, simple, and accessible language, he encouraged open dialogue around mental health, an issue often overlooked in community settings.

Participants praised the session as a positive and responsible step towards raising awareness, fostering empathy, and promoting a supportive environment for discussing emotional wellbeing. 

The event was honoured by the presence of Member of the Scottish Parliament Foysol Choudhury MBE MSP as Special Guest.

He commended the Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association for organising a meaningful and timely initiative, highlighting the vital role of community led programmes in preserving cultural heritage while also promoting health awareness and overall wellbeing.

He noted that such initiatives strengthen community cohesion and provide valuable support for future generations. 

The Honorary Consul of Bangladesh in Scotland, Dr Wali Tasar Uddin MBE DBA D.Litt, also attended as Special Guest and remarked that the event successfully spread knowledge and awareness among community members, particularly the younger generation. He emphasised the importance of preserving linguistic heritage while fostering unity and wellbeing within the community. 

SBWA President Ziauddin (Sumon) reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to delivering programmes that genuinely benefit the community and expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved. General Secretary Khan Elahi and Event Secretary Nazim likewise extended their thanks to all participants, volunteers, and supporters whose collective efforts made the event a success. 

Overall, the programme was widely regarded as an inspiring and impactful gathering, beautifully combining cultural remembrance, education, and community wellbeing, and truly reflecting the spirit of International Mother Language Day. 

Choudhury chairs Scottish Parliament roundtable to address “Language Loss in  Today’s World”

In anticipation of International Mother Language Day and the upcoming Bhasha Glasgow Language Festival 2025, a roundtable discussion on “Language Loss in Today’s  World” was hosted at the Scottish Parliament.

This panel discussion, chaired by Scottish  Labour MSP for the Lothian Region, Foysol Choudhury, was organised by the Bangladesh  Association Glasgow and brought together leading experts to address the pressing global  issue of language extinction. 

As globalisation accelerates, linguistic diversity is under threat, with many languages facing  the risk of extinction. This roundtable provided an essential platform to discuss the impact  of language loss and explore strategies to safeguard endangered languages.

The discussion  was driven by an esteemed panel of experts from academia, policy, and advocacy, including Dr. Antonella Sorace, Professor of Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh and founding director of Bilingualism Matters; Dr. Alison Phipps OBE, Professor of  Languages and Intercultural Studies at the University of Glasgow and UNESCO Chair in  Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts; Fhiona Mackay, Director of Scotland’s  National Centre for Languages; and Dr. Cristina Clopot, Policy Advice Officer of The Royal  Society of Edinburgh. 

This engaging discussion aimed to generate awareness and foster actionable solutions to  mitigate or prevent language extinction. The theme of language loss demonstrates the  global efforts of prevention.

This theme was present throughout the roundtable with Dr. Saif D Khan, trustee from the Bangladesh Association Glasgow, moderating an insightful  discussion focused on key examples of how the language loss is being prevented globally,  with a case study focus on Scots and Gaelic. 

Abdullah Al Wasif with Unityflow AI provided an insightful presentation on next-generation  speech recognition for underserved languages in enterprise.

This revealed that many  languages are fading due to limited digital and technological support, such as Gaelic, which  has been classified by UNESCO as “definitely endangered.”

Other languages that need  attention include Scots, which lacks digital integration; Sylheti and Bengali, spoken in  communities but under-represented; Polish and Romanian, spoken by large migrant groups  but underserved in voice technology.

By implementing data tools, it is possible to preserve  Scotland’s linguistic diversity and increase accessibility for public services for minority and  migrant languages. 

The insights from this session will contribute to broader conversations at the Bhasha  Glasgow Language Festival 2025, which launches on February 18, 2025, coinciding with  International Mother Language Day.

The President of Bangladesh Association Glasgow, Mr.  Ehtesham Hasnain, invited the roundtable participants to attend the upcoming events from  this year’s festival.

Commenting on the significance of the event, Choudhury stated, “Language is more than  just communication; it embodies culture, identity, and heritage. This discussion is a timely  call to action, ensuring that no language disappears without a fight.”

‘Let’s increase language learning education’ – Foysol Choudhury

Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury has this week given a speech at an International Mother Language Day event in Edinburgh City Chambers, highlighting the importance of language learning education and calling for more investment and partnership work to deliver the Gaelic Language Plan.

International Mother Language Day, proposed by Bangladesh and memorialised by UNESCO on 21st February each year, focuses on promoting linguistic diversity and the importance of sharing our differences in culture and languages to foster tolerance and respect in our multi-cultural communities.

The initiative is significant in preserving heritage through language and maintaining multilingual education policies to promote lifelong learning of languages. 

This year, the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council, Thistleshapla Cultural Group and Heriot-Watt University celebrated International Mother Language Day in the City Chambers in Edinburgh.

Foysol Choudhury MSP, Scottish Labour’s Spokesperson on Culture, attended this event and afterwards commented: “Language is important for culture, it is a medium though which culture is learned, appreciated, preserved and celebrated.

“It is important to celebrate this day to understand the significance of mother language which not only keeps us connected to our own culture but also allows sharing of knowledge and culture among different communities.

“This sharing of culture and language makes us more tolerant, understanding and helps us to build a more diverse and multicultural society.

“For the past few years the community has been asking for a permanent monument to commemorate International Mother Language Day and all those who have fought to preserve their right to speak their mother tongue-I’ll continue to support them in pursuing this.”

Mr Choudhury further highlighted the importance of language learning in Scotland: “It is important that children are given the opportunity to learn their mother languages at a young age, to allow them to connect to their roots and preserve their heritage, values and traditions throughout generations.

“In Scotland we are sadly seeing low numbers of Gaelic speakers-we must see more investment and partnership work between Bòrd na Gàidhlig and local authorities to revitalise the Gaelic language plan, support the learning of Gaelic and promote it as a living language to encourage the youth to stay connected to the language for generations to come.”

MSP Choudhury has lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament to celebrate International Mother Language Day 2024 and says he will continue to support the initiative, to encourage people to take pride in their mother language and learn other languages to support life-long learning and cohesion in our multi-cultural society.

Celebrate International Mother Language Day at City Chambers event

** Wednesday 21st February from 11am – 12.30pm **

ELREC in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council, Thistleshapla Cultural Group and Heriot-Watt University marks and celebrates this day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

Join us on the 21st February at City Chambers:

11.00 – ​Registration and Refreshments

11.20 – ​ Event begins in the European Room with a welcome speech from the Rt. Hon. Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge.

11.30 – ​Mr Foysol Choudhury MBE MSP

11:40 – ​Sir Geoff Palmer OBE

11.50 – ​Mrs Min-Hsiu Liao from Heriot Watt University

12.00 – ​Cultural presentation

Priti Fakhrul reciting Gaelic Poem​​

A short speech by Mr Bodrul Husain Babu and Mr Shahnoor Chowdhury​​

Music composed by Johnny Ahmed:

” Salam Salam”​​

Fakhrul Islam – Poem in Sylheti Nagri

12.20 – ​Make your way to the Quadrangle where the floral wreath will be laid at a temporary memorial

International Mother Language Day 2023

Responding after the International Mother Language Day 2023 event hosted by the Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), Foysol Choudhury MSP said: 

“It was my great honour to speak at the City Chambers in Edinburgh today in celebration of International Mother Language Day 2023 and to promote linguistic and cultural diversity.

“It is a true honour for me to observe International Mother Language Day in my role as Shadow Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and also as the first Bangladeshi Member of the Scottish Parliament. 

“International Mother Language Day was first proposed by Bangladesh in 1999, being approved by UNESCO that same year.  

“As a national day in Bangladesh, the Head of State and Head of Government lay a floral wreath at the Language Martyrs Monument, as I did today at the Quadrangle with the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Rt. Honourable Councillor Robert Aldridge.

“This event gives us a vital reminder about the importance of preserving more than 6000 languages – 23% of which are endangered- and promoting tolerance and understanding.  

“This year’s theme is “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”. As 40% of the global population cannot access education in a language they speak or understand, it is not hard to understand why this has been chosen. 

“Much of the internet is only available in 12 languages. As we use the internet for education more and more, it is important that multilingualism online is promoted so that all can access and learn from online content.  

“Otherwise, those who use minority languages may unfortunately face a threat to their education and access to information. 

“The internet can be a force for education and strengthening disappearing minority languages, both through preservation and revitalisation. Apps and resources can be shared to help educate learners, both young and old, to enrich their understanding of their mother tongue.  

“By normalising multilingualism in education, we can also improve access to it and promote language learning.  

“Multilingual education can teach us understanding and tolerance from youth, allowing for better social cohesion throughout life.   

“Our mother tongue, whether it is English, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Bengali, Urdu, French, Brazilian-Portuguese, Ukrainian, Chichewa, Polish or Mandarin, is the linguistic device that shapes our personal, social and cultural identities. 

“It is the vital tool that helps us transmit, preserve and maintain our different traditions, the sayings, jokes, songs, poems that make all our lives much more vibrant and interesting.  

“A speech by a Ukrainian woman at the event today resonated strongly with me, when she spoke about the importance of the Ukrainian language to her, her devastation at its censorship and why it’s preservation is so important during the conflict in Ukraine. 

“Language is the cultural tool that allows us to share different knowledge to better understand one another, where we come from and what makes us all unique, and to foster tolerance among different groups of people. 

“It is vitally important that languages are preserved and multilingualism is promoted, for the reasons shared by distinguished speakers at today’s event. 

“Thank you to ELREC for organising the event at the City Chambers today and for all the distinguished guests, speakers and performers for helping us to celebrate this important topic. 

“I have lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament supporting the achievements of International Mother Language Day and I hope we can remember this day as a day to celebrate our differences, whether it is our languages, cultures, or identities that make us who we are. 

“I encourage everybody today to approach our peers and share information about our different languages and cultures, so that we can be enriched by each others’ differences.” 

International Mother Language Day Celebration

Dear Friends  
We would like to invite you to join the celebration of International Mother Language Day 2020.   Date: Friday, 21 February 2020 Time: 09.30-11.00 Venue: Councillors Lounge, Edinburgh City Chambers, 253 High Street EH1 1YJ
International Mother Language day (IMLD) was proclaimed by UNESCO and observed every year since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The 2020 International Mother Language Day edition will contribute to promoting peaceful dialogue and social inclusion. The 2020 theme is “Languages without borders”. Recognition of and respect for linguistic and cultural diversity contribute to strengthening the unity and cohesion of societies.
Brief program of the day:
0930 – Welcome
0945 – Inauguration by Lord Provost and Speeches
1025 – Multilingual performance
1040 – A tribute to the language martyrs (Quadrangle/outdoor)
To book your free place: https://ilmd2020.eventbrite.co.uk
Contact: E-mail: imlsscotland@outlook.com, Tel; 0131 556 0441.
Kind regards

Foysol Choudhury MBE 

International Mother Language Group in Scotland (IMLD)