September 25 is a glorious day in the history of the Bengali nation and the Bangla language as Bangabandhu addressed the UN General Assembly in Bangla for the first time on the day in 1974. Terming the day as significant, Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Saturday shared a video of Bangabandhu’s UNGA speech, the Prime Minister of independent Bangladesh, on his verified Facebook page remembering the day. When Bangabandhu delivered his UNGA speech (on Sept 25, 1974) in mother tongue Bangla, it marked the culmination of a process that had started on February 21, 1952. The language rights movement for Bangla had snowballed into a movement for an independent Bangladesh under Bangabandhu’s leadership. So, his UNGA speech not only announced the birth of a new nation but one based on linguistic and cultural pride rather than religion. Earlier, on September 17, just one week ago, Bangladesh became a member of the United Nations, Joy said. It was the first time that the use of the Bangla language started in any official meeting of the international body, he said. Read: Bangabandhu’s maiden UNGA speech remembered with fondness Columnist Ajoy Dasgupta says Bangladesh is a classic case of continuity of legacy from father to daughter, despite the massacre of much of the Sheikh Mujib family in 1975 and the dozens of assassination attempts against Bangabandhu’s daughter, now the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Dasgupta, an Ekushey Padak awardee, says the military rulers who had taken over and ruled Bangladesh for the next 15 years legitimized the pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami, introduced constitutional amendments that undermined the country’s secular democratic polity, and finally declared Islam as the state religion of Bangladesh. He said some parties like BNP (founded in the barracks) and its ally, Jamaat-e-Islami have tried to restore the Pakistani military-fundamentalist model of radical Islam but failed. When the world worries for Afghanistan, specially its women, and terror-sponsor Pakistan sinks into an economic abyss, the world is all praise for Bangladesh's amazing economic turnaround and social inclusion, for its battle against climate change and gender empowerment -- all rooted in Bangladesh unique Bengali culture and the language, Dasgupta mentioned. This September, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina again addressed the UNGA in Bengali, two women diplomats flanked her to chair the session and translate-- an amazing reminder of the Bengali roots of this fast modernising nation from the basket case of the 1970s, he said. "Only those countries who have earned freedom after long years of struggles and sacrifices have strong will and strength of mind, Remember President, my Bengalis can endure sufferings but will not die. In the challenge to survive, the will of my people is my greatest strength,” Bangabandhu reminded the UNGA. Read: PM joins opening session of 76th UNGA general debate Twenty-five years later, his daughter Sheikh Hasina moved the UNESCO, in 1999, to secure recognition for 21 February as the International Language Day. Bangabandhu secured global recognition for Bangla, spoken by the seventh largest linguistic group in the world, a global recognition. His daughter carried it further and got institutionalised recognition of Bengali, the only language to have produced a Nobel Laureate in Literature in South Asia.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a strong advocate of multilateralism and called the United Nations ‘as the centre of people’s future hopes and aspirations.” On the very first day of Bangladesh’s journey in the United Nations, Bangabandhu delivered his maiden speech to the UNGA on September 25, 1974. “Our goal is self-reliance; our chosen path is the united and collective efforts of our people. International cooperation and the sharing of the resources and technology could, no doubt, make our task less onerous and reduce the cost in human suffering,” the Prime Minister quoted Bangabandhu as saying at the UNGA in 1974. He called for building a world to be free of economic inequalities, social injustice, aggression, and threats of nuclear war. “These are as relevant today as they were forty-six years ago. As such, we continue to lend our voice and leadership to all those issues that aim to build an inclusive and equal society,” said the Prime Minister. She termed the current the year 2021 a very special year, noting that this year they are celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Independence. “This celebration coincides with ‘Mujib Year’, the Birth Centenary of our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.” Read: PM joins opening session of 76th UNGA general debate The Prime Minister, while delivering her speech at the UNGA for the 17th time, paid her profound respect and homage to Father of our Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose selfless, lifelong struggle and visionary leadership brought us our long-cherished Independence.