National

Bengali literature needs extensive translation to reach global: Selina Hossain

Noted fiction writer Selina Hossain has opined that Bengali literature should be widely translated into other languages to give Bengali a global form. For this reason, apart from Bangla Academy, the writer called upon various individuals and institutions to come forward. She said these in her speech as a chief guest at a function organized at Green University on Monday.

Selina Hossain said, "We are only celebrating International Mother Language Day. But if the stories written in Bengali language are not translated into other languages, then other language-speaking people of the world will not know about it. Translation is necessary for people from different countries to know. If there is no translation, Bengali will be stuck only for one day."

Urging the youth to work for society and the country, this writer said, "If people around you are bad, poor, then if you are good to them by helping them, life will be meaningful. Life will be meaningful only if you can enlighten your human sense, and human philosophy by transmitting it to others. Today's event will be great."

Acting Vice Chancellor of the university Professor Dr Khwaja Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed presided over the event.

Former VC and distinguished Professor of Green Business School Md Golam Samdani Fakir, treasurer of the university Professor KM Wazed Kabir, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Md Shahidullah, Dean of the Faculty of Law Professor Dr Farhana Helal Mehtab, Chairperson of Journalism and Media Communication Department Oliur Rahman, Proctor Dr Md Mehedi Hasan, club moderator Saroj Mehedi and others were present in the program.

The ceremony begins with a small group of people dancing. The guests are then welcomed with bouquets of flowers, greetings and various gifts. After the inauguration, the Vice-Chancellor of the university Dr Khwaja Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed said, "Our language skills set us apart from other animals. But we are messing up the language we are speaking whether we understand it or not. I am mixing only English with Bengali. The status of the language is deteriorating. We should ensure fairness in the use of language."

"He said that there is a big war going on all over the world today. Our country also became independent through war. But as people, the message of peace and non-violence is our main message. We will be non-violent only when we are close to nature. Stories, novels, poetry take us closer to nature. Selina Hossain's writings describe those natures," he added.

He urged the youth to pay more attention to their studies.  At the end of the discussion, the interesting cultural program began. Students of various departments of the university participated in it.