Days Until International Mother Language Day

About International Mother Language Day

February 21 commemorates the Language Movement Day observed in Bangladesh, marking a 1952 event in which students protesting for the recognition of Bangla as an official language were killed by police in Dhaka, then part of Pakistan.

UNESCO designated the international observance in 1999 specifically in recognition of that history, promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism worldwide.

UNESCO estimates roughly 40% of the world's population lacks access to education in a language they speak or understand well, a statistic central to the observance's advocacy for mother-tongue-based education.

UNESCO tracks thousands of distinct languages spoken worldwide, warning that a substantial share are endangered — the core figure organizers point to when making the case for linguistic diversity preservation.

Bangladesh's own 1952 Language Movement events are commemorated domestically as Language Martyrs' Day, a national holiday distinct from, but directly underlying, the later UNESCO-designated international observance.