Language Martyrs’ Day 2023 Bangladesh: Date, Background, Facts

On February 21, we observe Language Martyrs Day. It is a day commemorating the sacrifices made by those who fought for their language. Bangladesh observes a national holiday on this day. Language Movement Day is also known as State Language Day. The event honours Bengali language movements and their martyrs. The day is celebrated worldwide to honour linguistic and cultural diversity. Additionally, the Indian state of West Bengal, which shares borders with Bangladesh, celebrates the day. Shahid Dibash, also known as Bhasha Dibas, is regarded with the same reverence and devotion in West Bengal.

The background of Language Martyrs’ Day

Language is a potent instrument that facilitates easy communication with others. The majority of our communication is conducted verbally. Primitive and action-based, the earliest forms of language may be as old as 1.8 million years. Historically, communication served primarily to coordinate hunting, food sharing, mating, and herb gathering. However, as we evolved, our intelligence has increased dramatically. The language evolved as human civilizations did. A little over 50,000 years ago, spoken language began to flourish. However, we can never be certain because words do not leave fossil records.

By approximately 3000 B.C., the first written languages had been created. Sumerian is generally regarded as the world’s oldest written language. In addition to Egyptian, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Hebrew, other ancient civilizations saw the development of written languages. As human politics spread across the Asian and European continents, these languages subsequently evolved into new regional dialects. Bengali is derived from Magadhi Prakrit, a spoken language spoken in 1000 A.D.

Bengali is one of the most spoken languages on the planet, with over 300 million native speakers. The British were forced to leave the Indian subcontinent after the end of the colonial period. The British partitioned India into India, East Pakistan, and West Pakistan. East and West Pakistan were once a single entity, with West Pakistan being the centre of political power. They had few ties to the Bengali language, despite its prominence in East Pakistan. Over the matter of official language, tensions erupted between the two groups. The Bengali Language Movement began to oppose Urdu’s status as the sole national language. Following subsequent riots and conflicts, police killed student protesters. The movements were successful and paved the way for a nationalistic sentiment that eventually led to the establishment of Bangladesh.

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Language Martyrs’ Day: 5 FACTS

There are 2,700 languages and over 7,000 dialects spoken throughout the world.

The Busuu language is the least spoken language, with only a handful of speakers remaining.

Approximately half of the global population is bilingual.

Papua New Guinea has more than 840 languages, making it the country with the most languages in the world.

The oldest written language in the world is Sumerian, followed by Egyptian.

LANGUAGE MARTYRS’ DAY DATES