Bangladesh wants Bangla as an official UN language: Sheikh Hasina

DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that Bangladesh was working to make Banglaan official UN language considering the vast number of its speakers and its rich literary heritage.Bangladesh is trying to establish Bangla as one of the official languages of the United Nations, Hasina said while inaugurating the first International Bangali Conference here.Bangla, which is spoken by at least 300 million people on the Indian subcontinent, is the national language of Bangladesh as well as the main language in West Bengal. It is also widely spoken in Assam and Tripura.

At present, English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish are the six official languages at the UN.

Last year, in an address to the UN General Assembly in New York, she had said, “I earnestly appeal to you to back my proposal to declare Bangla as one of the official languages of the United Nations. Bangla is spoken by over 300 million people worldwide.”

Bangladesh parliament had passed a resolution endorsing the call in 2009, followed by West Bengal which also passed a similar resolution in the state legislature.

“Bangali, Bangla and Bangladesh are three pillars, and these are tied to a same string and complementary to each other,” she was quoted as saying by state news agency BSS.

Besides, Hasina urged the international community to extend massive support and solidarity to Bangladesh’s initiative for holding the trial of war criminals for establishing truth and justice.

The persons responsible for massacre, crimes against humanity and war crimes during the War of Liberation in 1971 have been put in the dock as the entire nation is obliged to three million martyrs and uncountable number of oppressed people for holding their trial, she said.