Bangla Language Neglected at U.S Airports

Chhabed Sathee: The observance of International Mother Language Day is not being properly reflected in the United States. Although Bangladesh’s Martyrs’ Day (February 21) gained international recognition as International Mother Language Day 27 years ago, the Bangla language still appears to be neglected in the U.S.

The word ‘Welcome’ written in Bangla ‘Shagotom’ has not yet been included at any of the welcome centers of the 149 international airports in the United States. At the arrival areas of these airports, the English word ‘Welcome’ is translated into nearly 100 different languages, yet Bangla a language recognized globally through International Mother Language Day is missing. Many expatriate Bangladeshis consider this both a disregard for the spirit of International Mother Language Day and an embarrassment for the Bangladeshi community. They blame the relevant Bangladeshi representatives in the United States for not addressing the issue.

A visit to major international airports such as John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia the busiest international airport in the world found that the welcome centers do not display the Bangla word ‘Shagotom.’

This absence is not limited to those airports alone. Over the past 21 years, Bangla has not appeared in the welcome boards at any of the 149 U.S. international airports, which many believe undermines the dignity of International Mother Language Day. While translations of ‘Welcome’ appear in about 100 languages sometimes even repeated in certain languages Bangla is absent.

The United States has more than 19,700 airports in total. Of these, 5,170 airports are open to the general public, while 503 airports are designated exclusively for business aviation.

This correspondent visited several major airports, including LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Logan International Airport, O'Hare International Airport, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Nashville International Airport, and Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, but did not find the Bangla word ‘Shagotom’ displayed at any welcome center.

When contacted, a supervisor at the welcome center of Newark Liberty International Airport, identified as Ms. Peggy, said that the multilingual welcome boards currently displayed at several airports were installed about ten years ago.

When asked why Bangla was not included on the boards, Peggy replied that not only Bangla but many other languages were also left out due to space limitations. She said she did not know why Bangla recognized internationally as a mother language was excluded, and suggested contacting airport management for further information.

In the thousand-year history of the Bengali people, Amar Ekushey (February 21) holds a unique and historic place. Today it is observed worldwide as International Mother Language Day. Inspired by the spirit of Ekushey, the Bengali nation advanced through movements for language rights, autonomy, and ultimately independence under the fearless leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

February 21, known as Martyrs’ Day in Bangladesh, commemorates the Language Movement of 1952. On that day, police opened fire on students protesting for Bangla to be recognized as one of the state languages of then East Pakistan. Several young protesters including Rafiq, Jabbar, Shafiul, Salam, and Barkat were killed. Their sacrifice made the day a symbol of linguistic rights and cultural identity.

In 2010, the United Nations formally decided to observe February 21 worldwide as International Mother Language Day.

The initiative to recognize the day internationally began in 1998 when two Bangladeshi expatriates living in Vancouver, Canada Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam submitted a request to then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Later, on November 17, 1999, the UNESCO General Conference in Paris officially declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day. Since February 21, 2000, it has been observed globally by UN member states.

Bangla is one of the world’s major languages, spoken by about 250 million people. Yet, many believe the language’s international recognition is not adequately reflected in the United States.

UNESCO introduced International Mother Language Day to promote awareness of linguistic diversity and multilingualism worldwide.

Interestingly, Bangla has appeared in other official contexts in the United States. In recent U.S. presidential elections, ballots in some areas included Bangla alongside other languages. According to a Bangladeshi official from the New York Board of Elections, ballot papers listed candidates’ names including those for president and vice president in several languages, including Bangla. Some polling centers also had Bangla interpreters and Bangla-language instructions.

Many Bangladeshi Americans have also served as polling officers in cities such as Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx in New York; Paterson and Atlantic City in New Jersey; Los Angeles in California; and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

February 21 is deeply meaningful for Bangladesh and people of Bangladeshi origin worldwide. To highlight the significance of the day, Grace Meng, a Democratic member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced legislation in the U.S. Congress to recognize International Mother Language Day nationally in the United States. She said she has been working toward passing the bill and believes there is a possibility it could eventually be approved.

Congresswoman Meng, who represents New York and has many Bangladeshi constituents, had introduced similar bills previously, although they did not pass. Former Congressman Joseph Crowley also introduced a similar proposal.

Meanwhile, a reliable source indicated that a previous Bangladeshi government had considered pursuing recognition of Bangla as one of the official languages of the United Nations. However, the initiative did not move forward due to the high financial costs involved.

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