Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka observed the Great Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day 2025 with due solemnity this morning at the historic Independence Square in Colombo with the presence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Employment, UN Resident Coordinator, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Education Secretary, Home Secretary, Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations also participated in the event. Besides, people from all walks of life, including, high government officials, academicians, intellectuals, political and cultural personalities as well as hundreds of students and scouts from schools across the island also joined the programme. The Independence Square turned into a grand assembly of multilingual people on this occasion. The event was organised in partnership with the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka, United Nations in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Scout Association. This years theme was Language for Peace and Harmony.”
The Prime Minister and other dignitaries scribbled the word Language in their respective mother tongues on the canvas with the strokes of brush and paint. The programme began with the choral rendition of the immortal Ekushey song by the High Commission and Sri Lankas Muslim Choral Ensemble. The entire hall stood in solemn silence for one minute as a mark of respect to the martyrs.
To mark the day, an island-wide creative writing, video making and painting competition for children had been launched two months back with the assistance of Sri Lankas Ministry of Education. In todays event, the winners of the competition were awarded certificates as well as other prizes.
The days special attraction was an enthralling multilingual cultural programme participated by different Embassies, International Organisations and Universities in Colombo.
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, in her Speech, appreciated the initiative of Bangladesh High Commission to observe the International Mother Language Day and underscored the importance of preservation of mother tongues and linguistic diversity. In his welcome remarks, High Commissioner of Bangladesh Mr. Andalib Elias reflected on the role of mother tongues in promoting a peaceful and harmonious world. Highlighting statistics on different languages becoming extinct in the world, he called upon everyone to work together for protection of different languages and cultures.
Moreover, Sri Lankas prestigious University of Ruhuna and University of Visual and Performing Arts organized seminars to observe the International Mother Language Day. High Commissioner of Bangladesh Mr. Andalib Elias participated as Special Guest.
The days observance began at the High Commission early morning with the hoisting of the national flag at half-mast followed by one-minute silence, special prayers and reading out of the messages of the Chief Adviser and the Adviser for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. A discussion session also took place at the High Commission.