Mainz, February 22 (Desk Report/OurVoice): Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen, MP said, the spirit of the 21st February is the spirit of self-rights, which arose in our hearts. That is the root of the broader spirit of the liberation. The link in these two historical incidents -language movement and liberation movement- is that, when people’s voice and ownership are ignored, it turns into a mass movement resulting in the new form of structure namely revolution. In these historical turning points the role of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, was pioneering, vital and inevitable. Without his strong leadership no success would have been possible in these historical movements.
Foreign Minister Dr Momen observed it while addressing the virtual international conference organized by Bangabandhu Foundation Germany (BFG) on Monday. In his speech Dr Momen added, the Bengali speaking people in the then Pakistan were so generous that they being the majority were ready to accept Bengali as one of the state languages. While 56% of the population spoke Bengali and only 3% of the population at that time in Pakistan spoke Urdu. In spite of that the Bengali speaking people did not demand that Bengali should be the only state language in Pakistan. On the other hand, ignoring the reality the then Pakistani rulers tried to declare Urdu as the only state language. The Bengalis protested and sacrificed their lives to protect the dignity and honour of their mother language in 1952, which has today been recognized by the UNESCO as the international mother language day worldwide.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister said, Bangabandhu did not only lead the liberation war in 1971, he also led the Language movement in 1952, even he guided the movement sitting in the jail. He praised the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and said, due to strong leadership of the Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh has today become a model of development in the world.
Earlier, Security and Strategic Affairs Analyst and Executive Director of the Institute of Conflict, Law and Development Studies (ICLDS) Major General Md Abdur Rashid (Retd) presented the key-note speech, while the founding President of BFG, International Affairs Secretary of Bangabandhu Foundation Central Committee and Senior Vice-President of German Awami League Younus Ali Khan was in the chair. Chairman of BASUG Diaspora and Development and Adviser of Bangabandhu Foundation Germany BFG Bikash Chowdhury Barua and Chief Editor of Our Voice and BFG Adviser AHM Abdul Hai moderated the sessions of the virtual international conference.
The conference was addressed as special guests by Bangladesh ambassador in Germany Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, ndc, Advocate Nurul Islam Thandu, General Secretary of Bangabandhu Foundation Central Committee, Advocate Moshiur Malek, Founding President of Bangbandhu Foundation Central Committee, Aswat Aksir Mujib, Member of Awami League International Affairs Sub-Committee, Aunil Das Gupta, Adviser of European Awami League, Prof. Dr. Dirk Loomans, President of Association of Evangelical Members, CDU, Md Saiful Hassan Badol, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, Karsten Lange, CDU Leader and Adviser of BFG, Lukas Augustin, CDU Leader and Adviser of BFG, Nazrul Islam, President of European Awami League, A K M Bashirul Alam Chowdhury Sabu, President of German Awami League, Sultan Mahmud Sharif, President of UK Awami League, Aminur Rahman Khasru, Chief Patron of German Awami League, Zillur Rahman, Senior Vice President of German Awami League, Zahidul Islam Pulok, Senior Vice President of German Awami League, Monir Khan, President of Sheikh Hasina Parishad, Muquith Chowdhury, Freedom Fighter from the USA, Hasnat Mia, Honorary Consul General of the Bangladesh Embassy, Shahabuddin Miah, Member of District Council of Soest, Anwarul Kabir, Central Committee Member of Bangabandhu Parishad and former Chief Advisor of German Awami League, Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, Joint-Secretary of UK Awami League and Monir Haider, Adviser of German Awami League.
Among others, Abu Mohammad Salim, Founding Adviser of BFG, Mahabubul Haque, Chief Adviser of BFG, Kamal Dewan, Freedom Fighter and Adviser of BFG, Azhar Hossain, Adviser of BFG, Alhajj Sheikh Abdul Matin, BFG Adviser, Khan Liton, President of German-Bangla Press Club and BFG Adviser, Asma Khan, Senior Vice-President of BFG, Monirul Alam, Senior Vice President of BFG, Titu Hakim, Vice-President of BFG, Mohosin Shaha, Vice-President of BFG, Sohel Mia, BFG Vice President, Abdein Zimmerman, Vice-President of BFG, Nazrul Islam, Joint Secretary of German Awami League, Abu Motaleb, Secretary of Hessen Awami League and Tania Hamid, BFG Joint Secretary took part in the conference. The BFG Cultural Secretary Kona Islam rendered the patriotic songs and Habib Ullah Al Bahar, Germany Correspondent of NTV and BFG Adviser facilitated the sessions with technical support.
