Still a lot to be done

The use of Bangla in all spheres of life is still limited to some empty rhetoric as two Supreme Court directives and Bengali Language Introduction Act 1987 remain largely unimplemented.
Not only at individual level but also at government level, disregard for the language has been blatant, belying the spirit of the historic Language Movement of 1952.
For distortions, academics have blamed the apathy of the ruling elites, lack of awareness and government policy for language development. 
Abdus Salam Rony runs a sports item shop at Bangabandhu Avenue named Bangladesh Sports.
When asked why he hung the signboard of his shop only in English, Rony said it was comfortable for him as his clients prefer English cash memo and other papers. 
In many mass media, Bangla is pronounced in foreign accents while different businesses are still displaying signboards written in English in the city as elsewhere across the country in defiance of the court order, academics find. 
They urge the government to take pragmatic steps for ensuring use of Bangla in all spheres without any distortion as the state language of the republic is Bangla as per Article 3 of the constitution.
Dhaka University teacher Professor Muntassir Mamoon finds Bangla ignored everywhere and blames particularly the politicians for it though everyone has a share in it. 
‘We ignore Bangla as we are not yet a nation having self-dignity,’ he says.
Arts and social science faculty dean of Gono Bishwabidyalay Professor Monsur Musa thinks that the state should have a state language promotion policy to teach Bangla to all.
A former director general of Bangla Academy, Musa notes that students of many universities, medial colleges and engineering universities hesitate to learn Bangla as the institutions ignore Bangla in their syllabus.
Furthermore, he suggests that under the policy government should enrich the language with the demand of current world of economy, international relations, law, education etc.
Dhaka University Bangla department supernumerary professor Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq says that distortion and ignorance about Bangla started immediately after the liberation of the country when the state took a U-turn from its spirit it had during state language movement.
Now the government toes the line of the World Bank and the IMF and has started English version in education system, he says.
‘Until we can restore the political spirit of Language Movement, the situation will not change,’ he thinks. 
If one makes a round of the city, he or she will find thousands of banners and posters written only in English.
Dhaka north city panel mayor Jamal Mostafa says that the errant business enterprises and offices put up signboards only in English even after they were fined after demolition.
‘Drive against English signboards will continue,’ he reiterates.
Dhaka North City Corporation bulldozed over 2,000 signboards in English last year during drives at Gulshan, Mohakhali, Uttara, Farmgate and Mohammadpur, as per DNCC officials.
They claim that the drives made a little change but the overall scene has remained unchanged.
Hundreds of buses still use only English name though Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has ensured Bangla number plates after the HC directives.
On February 16, 2012, the High Court in a suo moto rule asked private TV channels and radio stations to stop using distorted Bangla expression in their programmes and asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to stop airing such programmes. 
After hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Eunus Ali Akond, another High Court bench on February 17, 2014 asked the government to ensure that only Bangla was used in all hoardings, signs, nameplates as well as vehicle number plates.
The court had also asked the government to explain why it failed to implement the Bangla Language Introduction Act 1987.
Despite several efforts, cultural affairs minister KM Khalid could not be reached for comment over phone. 
He even did not respond to text message sent to his number.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net