February in Bangladesh is the month of the celebrations of language. Every year on 21 February, International Mother Language Day looks back at the historical Language Movement that took place in 1952 in Dhaka. On this day, the world also celebrates their mother language after UNESCO declared 21 February as the official day to celebrate it.
This year on International Mother Language Day, we, the British Council in Bangladesh launched our website in the language spoken by the wider Bangladeshi audience – Bangla. The launch is an integral part of our efforts to make our products and services more accessible to people who are comfortable in communicating in their native tongue. As a UK organisation striving to build cultural relations and offer educational opportunities, we hope to bring the British Council closer to the people in Bangladesh by speaking to them in Bangla.
Throughout February, we conducted a 21-day campaign on our Facebook and Twitter channels to mark the website’s launch on 21 February 2019. Barbara Wickham, Director Bangladesh, British Council sent out a Bangla video message to the people of Bangladesh. “The feeling of speaking in one’s mother tongue, one’s language, is incomparable," she says. "That’s why the British Council is now coming to you in Bangla.” (Translated)
The Bangla website can be accessed at www.britishcouncil.org.bd/bn
Watch the whole video below.