Bangladesh Embassy and Universiteit Leiden / Leiden University collaboratively commemorated InternationalMotherLanguageDay 2023 at Leiden University – Faculty of Humanities in Denhaag, joined by Ambassadors/diplomats from Australia, Argentina, Costarica, Egypt, Greece, Phillipines, India, Italy, Mexico, Kosovo, Brazil, Germany.
Moderated by Prof Giles Scott-Smith, Dutch Ambassador for Int’l Cultural Cooperation Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands) Dewi van de Weerd, Chair of UNESCO_NL, Kathleen Ferrier, Nat’l Coordinator against Discrimination & Racism, Rabin S Baldewsingh, Chair of Int’l Studies, Prof. Isabelle Duyvesteynwere, shared their reflections. Amb. M Riaz Hamidullah welcomed the guests.
The recitations (poems), performances (music) and remarks, all stitched an evening of ‘unity in diversity’: youth/students from 11 different nationalities performed, in their own languages. Ambassador of Italy enthralled all reciting a poem in Italian and an artificial language Esperanto.
The sounds/sights celebrated multilingualism as an opportunity, even in times of dominance of technology.
The spouses of Bangladesh Embassy officials rendered the immortal song, ‘Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano Ekushe February…’.
Announcement of the winners of netherlands-wide Poster Competition was a major draw. Students from schools and universities portrayed their imagination about language culture inclusion identity in creating imaginative posters.
Earlier, in the morning, Amb. Hamidullah along with Embassy officials, family members and Bangladeshi community in the Netherlands, placed floral wreaths at the Language Memorial at Zouder Park.