International Mother Language Day is a source of inspiration to build multicultural and inclusive societies where people of all races, faiths, languages and cultures will have respect and dignity, said ministers and academics said yesterday.

They said oftentimes some languages are imposed on people for political or economic reasons, which, however, is unfair to the very identity of those being dominated. International Mother Language Day, which is recognized by the UNESCO and is celebrated on February 21 commemorating the struggle for Bangla language in 1952, speaks of recognising all languages and cultures.

The observations came on the first day of a two-day webinar titled "Understanding Asian Transformations: Language and Cultural Binds," jointly organised by the Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka; and School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS), Taylor's University, Malaysia; Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture of Malaysia (MOTAC); and Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

The event began with the song amar bhai er rokte rangano in Bangla and Malay languages.

"Mother Language Day creates space for promotion of cultural diversity…this needs to be cultivated for developing a culture of humanity," said Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Such multilingual programme will work as a bridge for linguistic and cultural connectivity among South and South East Asian countries, he said, stressing on cross-border cultural connectivity through more interaction among writers, academics, journalists and cultural personalities.

Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dato' Sri Nancy Shukri emphasised the importance of protecting and preserving languages as it translates to the protection and preservation of culture and heritage.

In a video message, she also applauded the efforts of Bangladesh in making International Mother Language Day a worldwide celebration, highlighting its importance to the world.

Centre for Genocide Studies Director Prof Imtiaz Ahmed said the idea of singularity creates problems in society. Therefore, the recognition of all languages and ethnicities by states and societies is important for establishing inclusive society.

He explained that the spirit of February 21 does not speak against Urdu, but its domination. "We should celebrate all languages," he said.

Prof Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, executive dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor's University; Prof Fakrul Alam of Department of English, University of Dhaka; Dr Salinah Binti Ja'afar, associate professor at the Department of Linguistics, Academy of Malay Studies, University of Malaya, Shigeru Aoyagi, director for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education; Prof Firdous Azim, chair of the Department of English and Humanities, BRAC University and Prof Wan Zawawi Wan Ibrahim, Adjunct Professor, Taylor's University attended the event.