BANGLADESH EMBASSY IN ROME PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LANGUAGE MARTYRS

“Bangabandhu was active from the beginning of the movement in 1947 till the end which paved the way of the independence of Bangladesh”- H. E. AHSAN

Oru Leonard

Bangladesh Embassy in Rome, Italy has observed “Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day-2022” with due homage and solemnity.

As part of the special program of the day, the national flag was officially hoisted at half-mast at the Embassy premises in the morning of 21 February 2022. All the officers-officials of the Embassy under the auspices of the Ambassador laid floral wreath at the Shahid Minar in the Chancery premises.
Italian friends, Honorary Consuls General of Bangladesh, leaders of various social, cultural and political organizations and expatriate Bangladeshi citizens participated in the virtual discussion and cultural program organized by the Embassy at 10 am on 21 February 2022.

At the beginning of the program, a one minute silence was observed to pay tribute to all the martyrs of liberation war and language movement. Ambassador Md. Shameem Ahsan in his opening remarks expressed deep gratitude and respect to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the struggle to preserve the existence and dignity of the mother tongue.

While recognising the outstanding contribution of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in organising the language movement, he said that Bangabandhu was active from the beginning of the movement in 1947 till the end which paved the way of the independence of Bangladesh. He added that recognition of this day as “International Mother Language Day” has created a unique opportunity for all the countries in the world in spreading the message of friendship and harmony by showing respect to all the languages ​​and cultures across the world.

The messages of the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Director General of UNESCO were read out on the occasion.

Participating in the discussion on behalf of the UNESCO Regional Director, Ms. Megumi Watanabe, an official of the UNESCO in Italy paid tribute to the Bangladeshi youth who sacrificed their lives for the mother tongue and also mentioned the need to consolidate the importance of all mother tongues in the world by recognizing the day as International Mother Language Day.

Honorary Consul of Bangladesh in Florence, Italy, Ms. Giorgia Granata also said that the day has a special significance in building peace and harmony among people of different languages. Honorary Consul of Bangladesh in Naples Ms. Fiorella Breglia expressed special gratitude and pride for the sacrifices made by the youth of Bangladesh for mother tongue.

Professor Fabio Scialpi and Professor Sanjukta Das Gupta from Sapienza University, Rome paid respect to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect the dignity of the mother tongue. Two Italian citizens, the founders of Rishilpi International, based in Satkhira, Bangladesh and very close friends of Bangladesh joined virtually to express their deep love for Bangladesh and Bengali language.

During the cultural part, a recorded version of the cultural program consisting of songs and dance performances with patriotic songs by young community artists was enjoyed by the audience. Students of Shonchari Songitayon, a cultural organization of the community, directed by Ms. Susmita Sultana, enthralled the audience. A special attraction of this part was the solo performance of an Italian student, named Ms. Laura who enchanted the audience with melodious voice.

In the next phase of the program, a special documentary made by Shilpakala Academy on this occasion was screened. The colorful pre-recorded performances by artists from Italy, India, Thailand and expatriate Bangladeshi children added colour to the program. One of the major attractions of the program was Photo Journey titled “Ekush through my lens” prepared with the photographs captured by Italian photo journalist Mr. Stefano Romano which was well received by the audience. The program ended with prayers for the departed souls of the martyrs and for the continued peace and prosperity of the country.

Earlier, on 20 February 2022 at 7.01 pm (Bangladesh time 21 February 2022 at 12.01 am) all the officers-officials and their family members of the Embassy led by the Ambassador and his spouse laid floral wreath at the Shaheed Minar in Yitzhak Robin Park in Rome. It may be mentioned that a permanent Shaheed Minar was inaugurated in Robin Park in 2011 with the support of the Italian government and with the active initiative by the Bangladesh Embassy to honor the language martyrs and to mark the International Mother Language Day.

Although it was abandoned for a long time due to geological reasons, it has been possible this year to pay homage to the Shaheed Minar for the first time since 2014 due to the active initiatives of the embassy. Various social, cultural and political organizations and a large number of expatriate Bangladeshis also paid deep tribute with flowers at the Shahid Minar. In his brief remarks, the Ambassador highlighted the significance of the day and thanked all concerned. He especially thanked the Italian government involved in setting up the beautiful Shaheed Minar in Italy.