Today at Sreepur Village, Bangladesh, our mothers and their children along with members of staff celebrated International Mother Language Day, honouring the language movement martyrs.
The event, beginning at 6.30am this morning, took place at the Shaheed Minar monument inside the village grounds where single mothers, their children and staff placed wreaths to commemorate the language movement martyrs.
Today is all about expressing gratitude and respect to the brave individuals who sacrificed their lives during the language movement in Bangladesh. The language movement was a movement to recognise the Bengali language as the official language of East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. The movement ultimately led to the recognition of Bengali as an official language of Pakistan.
Today's celebrations also included speeches which highlighted the significance of the day and the importance of preserving and promoting all languages.
In 2020 after her husband left her for another woman, Bobita was welcomed at Sreepur Village, the only residential organisation in Bangladesh to offer long-term training and development to mothers while ensuring they remain together with their children
When life took a difficult turn with her husband falling ill and struggling to support the family, Kulsum faced challenges that seemed insurmountable. Despite seeking help from her family, the situation remained incredibly tough. However, the introduction to Sreepur Village and the assistance provided by the organisation marked a turning point in Kulsum's life.