In terms of a resolution adopted at the 30^th session of the General Conference of UNESCO in 1999, the world observes February 21 every year as the International Mother Language Day. It aims at promoting linguistic diversity and multilingual education and at raising awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

It may be noted that the International Mother Language Day is just an internationalization of the Martyr’s Day (Shahid Dibash) of Bangladesh having been observed since 1953 to commemorate the tragic incident of police firing in Dhaka on 21 February, 1952 upon the agitators demanding recognition of Bangali as one of the state languages of the then Pakistan.