AGARTALA, Feb 20 (TIWN): International Mother Language Day will be observed at Agartala on Friday. To mark this occasion, several programmes are undertaken by State Government to observe this day with proper honour and dignity. Every year, in the Akhaura border, both India and Bangladesh, observes this auspicious day.

International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on 21st February. The main purpose of celebrating this day is to promote the awareness of language and cultural diversity all across the world.

It was first announced by UNESCO on November 17, 1999. Since then it is being celebrated every year.

The date represents the day 21st February 1952 when four young students were killed in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, because of Bengali and Urdu language controversy. Languages are the most powerful way to preserve and develop culture and to promote it all across the world. Because of this unfortunate incident, International Mother Language Day is celebrated in all over the world, while it is a public holiday in Bangladesh.

International Mother Language Day is celebrated in memory of the four students who were killed while fighting for their mother language.

Besides Agartala, Various programme will be also be organized at Various districts, quiz competition, drawing competition and sports programme will be included  as a part of this day. Every year, thousands of people - including children - from India and Bangladesh thronged the no man's land on the Indo-Bangla border at Akhaura near Agartala to observe international mother language day with a call to promote multi-cultural and multi-linguistic diversity all over the world with mutual respect and understanding.

In Bangladesh on International Mother Language Day people go to Shaheed Minar to pay tribute to the martyr of 21st February and sprinkle flowers on the monument. This is a time for Bangladeshis to celebrate their culture, traditions and their Bengali national language. The prizes are given to those who made outstanding performance in language and cultural diversity.