UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed hope that the next general election in Bangladesh would be a participatory one.

He expressed the optimism during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the UN headquarters on Thursday.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said the UN expressed full solidarity with the Bangladesh government and its people.

Highly appreciating the country's development under the leadership of Hasina, the UN chief said many countries could learn from it.

He lauded the PM for her stance on the Rohingyas issue.

“You can become a role model for many heads of state and government,” Shahidul quoted the UN secretary-general telling the PM.

Guterres said the Myanmar government should start the repatriation and proper rehabilitation of the Rohingyas as soon as possible.

The PM briefed the UN chief on different aspects of Bangladesh's development.

The UN secretary-general stressed the need for facing the climate change unitedly and requested Hasina to continue with her leadership on the issue.

Later, President of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer called on the Bangladesh PM at the bilateral    meeting room at the UN headquarters.

Mentioning that the ICRC was working in Myanmar's Rakhaine state, the PM urged the organisation to play a strong role in the repatriation and rehabilitation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

On February 21, we mark International Mother Language Day, a celebration of the world's linguistic and socio-cultural diversity. We are particularly honoured to mark this day here in Bangladesh as this day is also a worldwide tribute to the people of this country who have courageously fought for recognition of the Bangla language.

To commemorate the Bangladeshi martyrs who sacrificed their lives on this very day in 1952, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) unanimously proclaimed February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999. This is a significant contribution of Bangladesh to the world. On this day, we mark our linguistic and cultural diversity, the core of our identity, and aim "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world."

Looking back at history, it is important to reflect on the significance of Mother Language Day to respect and protect all languages of the world. Unfortunately, about every two weeks a language disappears, and when a language disappears, the entire world loses a part of its traditions, memories, and experiences that make our societies so culturally and intellectually diverse.

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4 Lesser-known facts about Ekushey February

According to recent Unesco estimates, at least 43 percent of more than 6,000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Due to globalisation processes, many languages, particularly indigenous ones, are on the verge of extinction. As fewer than a hundred of the world's languages are used in the digital world, and only a few hundred widely-spoken languages have been taught in schools, this trend is likely to increase in the future.

To tackle this, UN agencies encourage multilingual education to be based on the mother tongue or first language. This not only serves to keep languages alive, but has a range of additional benefits in terms of learning outcomes. To emphasise the importance of this, last year was the beginning of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032). This decade highlights the revival and promotion of indigenous and mother-tongue languages. Preserving language is at the heart of preserving identity, culture and diversity, and hence the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In Bangladesh, the Bangla language is flourishing. Events such as the annual Ekushey Book Fair promote writing and reading in Bangla. The development of educational resource materials for teaching at primary grades in Bangladesh's indigenous languages has started, initially with the five languages of Chakma, Garo, Marma, Sadri, and Tripura. Additional languages will be added each year to eventually cover all the languages of the country.

On February 21, we remember the Bangla Language Movement martyrs Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat, Abdul Jabbar, and Ohiullah for sacrificing their lives to speak their mother tongues. We should not forget the significance of this day.

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'An opportunity to celebrate linguistic diversity'

Embracing and protecting our linguistic diversity must be reinforced by not allowing anyone to use language as a tool to provoke conflicts and any forms of discrimination. It is important to respect all languages: big and small, widely and less spoken, indigenous and foreign. The diversity of languages is vital in intercultural dialogue to build inclusive societies.

On behalf of the staff of the United Nations in Bangladesh, representing foreign and indigenous languages of different states and parts of the country from Teknaf to Panchagarh, we wish the people of Bangladesh a happy International Mother Language Day. The day the country courageously fought for, and the legacy of which should not be forgotten.

Happy International Mother Language Day!

Gwyn Lewis is UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh.

Dr Susan Vize is officer-in-charge of Unesco Dhaka office.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Gwyn Lewis of Ireland as the new UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, with the host government's approval.

With more than 20 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding, and humanitarian affairs, Lewis previously served as director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) affairs in the West Bank, and Deputy Director of Programmes for UNRWA affairs in Lebanon, according to a UN statement.

Gwyn Lewis also managed the Global Clusters Coordination section in the Emergency Division of Unicef in Geneva and worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

She also served in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, building partnerships between the UN and non-governmental organisations, and supporting the rollout of the humanitarian reform agenda.

Lewis has also worked for both the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the UN mission in Kosovo and various non-governmental organisations in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Albania.

With a master's degree in International Relations and European Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK, Lewis also has a bachelor's degree in economics from San Francisco State University in the United States. She is fluent in English and French.

Only nine out of the 39 registered political parties that contested Sunday's national election have secured parliamentary seats.

The Awami League saw its victory in 259 seats while the Jatiya Oikyafront, comprised of the BNP and other opposition parties, won in only five.

The BNP took part in the polls with its Chairperson Khaleda Zia behind bars on corruption charges.

The Jatiya Party, a component of the AL-led Grand

Alliance, secured 20 seats, the second highest number of seats won by a party.

The Workers Party of Bangladesh became victorious in three constituencies.

Dr Kamal Hossain-led Gono Forum, a key component of Jatiya Oikyafront, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal got two seats each.

Besides, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Jatiya Party (Monju) bagged one seat each. Independent candidates won in three out of total 299 constituencies.

Voting was suspended in Brahmanbaria-2 following violence.

Election to Gainbandha-3 is due on January 27 as the Election Commission postponed the polls schedule for the seat after BNP candidate TIM Fazley Rabbi died on December 20.