PM for developing reading habit, translating foreign literary works

Laying emphasis on developing the reading habit, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged Bangla Academy to put more focus on translating foreign literature to create scope for knowing history, culture, lifestyle of different countries through book reading.

“Alongside own language, it is needed to be acquainted with foreign languages and translation is inevitable to this end,” she said.

The premier was addressing the opening ceremony of month-long Ekushey Boimela (Book Fair) as chief guest on Bangla Academy premises, joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban, reports BSS.

Though the fair usually takes place in February commemorating the 1952 Language Movement, this year the fair has been delayed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sheikh Hasina said literature gives the opportunities to know the lifestyle of people, their history and culture as well as other aspects, and translation of foreign literate is more easier way for the country’s people to know these.

Mentioning that the world now becomes a global village, she said not only for business but also to know the people of different countries there are opportunities to go through their culture, history and others reading literature.

“In the global village, there is a scope to know each other. There should not only be trade and business but also know cultural practices, literature, history and all other things. And books give us this scope,” she added.

She went on saying that Bangla Academy can translate local literature in foreign languages and foreign literature in local language to create the opportunities for both local and foreign people to read the literature.

The Prime Minister urged the new generation to develop the reading habit of books as they could learn history and culture through literature.

“Let’s come forward to develop the habit of book reading and encourage our next generation about it (this practice),” she added, asking all to be sincere for continuing book reading habit.

This year’s fair has been dedicated to the memories of the martyrs of 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. The main theme of the 2021 fair is “Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Golden Jubilee of Independence”.

In the fair, the Prime Minister unveiled the cover of “New China 1952”, the official English version of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman written book “Amar Dekha Noya Chin”, published by Bangla Academy.

She distributed the Bangla Academy Literary Award 2020 among recipients at the inaugural ceremony.

On behalf of the Prime Minister, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid handed over the awards to the recipients.

President of Bangla Academy Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan chaired the inaugural event, while Cultural Affairs Secretary M Badrul Arefin, Director General Habibullah Sirajee and President of Academic and Creative Publishers’ Association of Bangladesh Farid Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.

The Prime Minister said people hear the speech of political leaders due to its appeal, but if any message can be conveyed to the people through literature, its effectiveness would last for long in their heart.

Though books now can be read through electronic gadgets like mobile phone, tab and other electronic and digital devices, the appeal of (print version) books will never be ended, she said.

Alongside translation of books, Sheikh Hasina also called for conducting research on the languages further.

She requested all to visit the book fair maintaining health safety protocols strictly to contain spread of Corona so that book lovers are not deprived of the joys seeing new book visiting stalls that is why the fair has been organized even after delay.

“The second wave of Covid-19 has already started somewhere while the third wave elsewhere . . . no one should think that they all are protected after being vaccinated,” she said, adding, “Protecting yourself means protecting others.”

Noting that February 21 was declared as the International Mother Language Day due to her government timely action, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh got recognition for protection of not only Bangla rather all mother tongues across the world.

She said the government also established the International Mother Language Institute to this end.

The premier recalled the contribution of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the Language Movement. But, once there was an attempt to erase the name of the Father of the Nation from the movement of making Bangla as the state language, which is very unfortunate, she said.

Sheikh Hasina urged all to read the different volumes of the secret documents of Intelligence Branch of Pakistan on Bangabandhu, Amar Dekha Noya Chin (New China 1952), Oshomapto Attojiboni (Unfinished Memoirs) and Karagarer Rojnamcha (Prison Diary) to know the real history as these are exceptional and true documents for research.