Kathmandu: Great Martyr’s Day and International Mother Language Day (IMLD) 2026 has been observed in Kathmandu by Bangladesh Embassy with due solemnity and fervor. The day was observed with a two-day programme at the Embassy premises including discussion session and cultural programme reflecting the linguistic diversity and cultural heritage of different parts of the world.
The event was graced by the heads of Missions and diplomats from different Embassies and international organizations based in Kathmandu, representative of SAARC secretariat, officials of ICIMOD, linguists, academician, officials of Bangladesh Biman, members of Bangladesh Club, Nepal-Bangladesh Friendship Association, Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Nepali businessmen and Bangladesh community of Nepal.
In the event, the diplomatic corps of Nepal laid flower wrath at the Shaheed Minar in the Embassy. The messages of President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, released on this august occasion were read out by the Embassy officials. The video message from the President of UNESCO General Conference were also played in the event.
In his welcome remarks, Bangladesh Ambassador paid deep homage to the language martyrs for upholding the sanctity of Bangla in 1952. He highlighted the need for preserving and promoting mother language and underlined the necessity of multilingual mother-tongue based education as a basis of quality education system leading to overall development. Terming language as a powerful and unifying tool to connect people, he emphasized unity in diversity among communities and network. He lauded this year’s theme of IMLD- “Youth voices on multilingual education”, and stressed the vital role of young people in revitalizing and utilizing technology to promote linguistic diversity. He reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to working with Nepal and the international community to advance the ideals of linguistic diversity, cultural preservation, and inclusive development.
The Office Head of UNESCO in Nepal delivered remarks as special guest. The Heads of Missions of Finland, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Russia and Deputy Representative of UNICEF delivered remarks in their mother tongue- Finnish, Singhali, Malay, Russian and Korean respectively. In addition, UN resident representative in Nepal and acting Chairman of Language Commission of Nepal delivered remarks in the event. All the speakers highlighted the leadership role of Bangladesh in celebrating the International Mother Language Day worldwide. They recognized the importance of mother tongue-based multilingual education as the foundation for continued learning and development and the role of young generation.
The discussion was followed by a rich multi-cultural performance. It featured musical performances in three different languages (Nepali, Newari and Tamang) of Nepal as well as in Bangla. The cultural segment also included traditional Tharu dance of Nepal. The cultural programme was organized in collaboration with a local school of Kathmandu. Singers from Bangladeshi community in Nepal also performed. At the end of the event, all the guests enjoyed dinner featuring Bangladeshi cuisine.
In the first segment of events on the 21st of February, the observance commenced with the national flag flown at half-mast. A “probhat fery” was organized to lay flower wrath at the Shaheed Minar established in the Embassy. The event was concluded with special prayers offered for the Language Martyrs.
