0
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman has called for the establishment of the spirit of Ekushey by building resistance against corruption and religious fanaticism to realize the dream of a new Bangladesh. He made this call on Saturday (February 21) morning, after paying tribute to the language martyrs at the Shaheed Minar on behalf of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
He stated that corruption is completely antithetical to the spirit of Ekushey. The core lesson of Ekushey is to ensure equal rights for all people in society. The true demand of the Ekushey spirit is to resist any force that opposes the rights of marginalized communities, including women, religious and ethnic minorities, indigenous people, and persons with disabilities. Ensuring equal dignity and fundamental rights for all is the main objective of this spirit.
Regarding TIB’s name not being in Bengali, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “This is an international organization, and its name is globally recognized. The spirit of the Language Movement never advocated for the exclusion of other languages; rather, it championed the dignity and right to practice all languages. Bangladesh is home to people of various linguistic backgrounds, and the linguistic rights of each are equally important.”
He further added, “The main significance of International Mother Language Day is to ensure every individual’s equal right to practice their own mother tongue. Therefore, obstacles in the path of language practice must be identified and removed. He believes that corruption and religious fanaticism are among the biggest impediments in this path, and only by resisting them can the true spirit of Ekushey be established.”