Ahmed Deepto: International Mother Language Institute was established 11 years ago with an objective to expand of Bangla language, preserve and document of all mother languages, conduct research and training programmes. But the institute could only organise a few seminars, publish some souvenirs and newsletters in all these years since its foundation. They have done only one major research on the languages of ethnic minorities of the country. The research was finished four years ago, but it has been learnt now that the research is still incomplete.
IMLI is an organisation under the education ministry. Researchers said the institution has failed to live up to its promise of conducting research on Bangla and other languages. They have no significant achievement in expansion and extension of the Bangla language globally. They think a research organisation affiliated with a ministry cannot do research work independently.
The institute organises international seminars once a year on the occasion of International Mother Language Day on 21 February. They also organised other national and international seminars at different times. The institute has established a mother language museum and archive of writing systems of the world. But those initiatives got little publicity.
According to the International Mother Language Institute Act-2010, the institute has 23 specific responsibilities. These include taking steps for the extension of Bangla language in the country and beyond; collecting, preserving and conducting research and training on languages of ethnic minorities of different countries, publishing journals, conducting seminars and symposiums, establishing a museum, archive and library of international standard. Researchers said some of these goals were achieved.
The institute, however, failed to take any effective steps on conducting research on language movements and spreading the history of such movements to the UNESCO-member states, carrying out studies on evolution of Bangla and other languages of the world, publishing dictionaries and thesaurus of different languages, providing fellowship to local and international students for research on language, providing scholarship and founding an international media channel on language.
A seminar and research project on the state of languages in the country and languages of ethnic minorities was started in November 2013. A book titled ‘Khudro Nrighoshtir Bhasha Poricihti: Moulvibazar’ (Introduction to language of ethnic minorities: Moulvibazar) was published that year. No research book on languages of ethnic minorities of other districts was published.
Belayet Hossain Talukdar is the director general (additional charge) of the institute. Asked about the progress of IMLI on expansion of Bangla language and research, he said he is not the right person to give any information in this regard since he has been given additional charge from the ministry and doing only some routine works.
He suggested this correspondent to talk with the director in this regard.
The lone major work is incomplete
‘Ethno-linguistic survey of Bangladesh’ is the only major work of IMLI since its inception. The survey, aimed at assessing the state of different languages of the country, started in 2013 and continued till 2016. The project costs the government over Tk 32 million (Tk 3,21,33,987). The plan was to publish 10 volumes in English and 10 in Bangla after completion of the survey. The first volume was prepared in February 2018. The prime minister was supposed to inaugurate the volume but it has not been published yet.
Officials of the IMLI said the first part of the survey is still incomplete. There is no specific direction about finishing the volume.
When asked, IMLI director (language, research and planning) Md. Safiul Muz Nabeen told Prothom Alo little works on the first volume of the Ethno-linguistic survey of Bangladesh remains incomplete. It will be released in English after publishing in Bangladesh. They do not have all the scripts and have received several ones, but preparing of more scripts on the ethnic part is still incomplete.
“We received no instruction on the next activities related to the linguistic survey. At the time, the work was carried out under a project. That is why it was not published,” he added.
Sourav Shikder, professor of the linguistic department at Dhaka University, was a consultant at the ethno-linguistic survey. He told Prothom Alo, “Works on the linguistic part of three volumes of the ethno-linguistic survey has been completed. The IMLI did not publish those for unknown reason. It did not do the translation works either. IMLI also could not give any clear explanation or a proper answer.”
Irregular seminars, publications
MLI organised 19 international and 26 national seminars from 2013 to 2021. These programmes are mainly held on the day before or after the International Mother Language Day. A souvenir is also published marking the day. IMLI has published 11 Ekushey souvenirs since its inception.
IMLI published the first issue of quarterly Martribhasha Barta in March 2013. So far, 15 issues have been published as of April-June 2021 and an issue was published in a gap of three to 12 months. The institute also publishes quarterly IMLI Newsletter. The first issue was released in 2015 and the last one in July 2018. Only three issues of the newsletter have been published so far.
The institute also publishes half-yearly research journal Martribhasha Patrika. Six journals have been released between 2015 and 2020. There is another half-yearly research journal Mother Language in English. Only two issues have been published with the last one in December 2018.
The IMLI officials said there is less research on language as well as the number of research in the country. A lack of quality and original writings delays the release of these publications. A research policy has been formulated to encourage original writing and strengthen research activities. The policy has been approved by the education ministry and it is awaiting the finance ministry’s approval.
Once the policy is approved, research and publication opportunity will increase, director Safiul Muz Nabeen observed.
The way ahead
The United Nations declared the 21st February as the International Mother Language day on 17 November 1999. The International Mother Language Institute law was passed on 12 December 2012 but staff recruitment and operations began in mid-2011. The organogram of the institute constitutes with 98 official posts including 17 first class officials.
Officials said there was a staff crisis at the beginning. It has eased now as 20 recruitments have been made over the past two years. Currently, 14 first class officials and 60 officers and employees work at the IMLI. And, the government spent over Tk 214.2 (21.42 crore) from 2014-15 to 2020-21 fiscals.
Language researchers and former vice chancellor Rabindra University Biswajit Ghosh said it is the responsibility of IMLI to save the extinct and endangered languages of the work and do preserve these languages through research and technology. It could not be learned whether IMLI’s only work on the preservation of the ethnic languages become visible. IMLI could not go anywhere near that dream, desire and goal on which it was established, he added.
Biswajit Ghosh observed IMLI lacks in capacity and commitment on language preservation and research. Since it runs under the ministry, IMLI is a bureaucratic institution. Bureaucracy plays a role of controller. It is necessary to take a coordinated initiative to strengthen IMLI activities because the institute has the scope to gain renown in language research internationally, he added.
This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Galib Ashraf and Hasanul Banna
