Declare Bangla as official UN language
President urges Unesco
President Zillur Rahman yesterday urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) to declare Bangla as an official United Nations (UN) language.
“I hope the UN will consider the matter with due importance, showing respect to the Bangla-speaking people of the world,” he said.
The president was addressing a special convocation at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University where he conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Unesco Director General Irina Bokova.
The degree was in recognition of the outstanding contribution of Irina Bokova, the first female director general of Unesco, in the field of education and culture.
Zillur said, “I believe it (the degree) would act as a bridge between Unesco and the University of Dhaka.”
He said the people of Bangladesh are very grateful to Unesco for declaring 21st February as International Mother Language Day.
Bangladesh is a South Asian country of huge potential. “Unesco has been working for the development of education, science and culture of Bangladesh since the country's inception,” said Zillur, chancellor of Dhaka University.
Bangladesh has been playing an important role in raising world opinion in favour of world peace and climate change issues and gone a long way in achieving the Millennium Development Goal targets, said Zillur.
Expressing gratitude on being conferred the degree, Irina Bokova expressed her satisfaction in the progress Bangladesh made in the fields of education, food and human development.
Addressing the programme, DU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique said Dhaka University takes pride in conferring the degree to “a friend of Bangladesh”.
Parliament members and DU syndicate and senate members, deans of different faculties and teachers were present at the convocation.
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