This was stated by Annette Ellis, member of Australian Federal Parliament, during her speech at a programme at Bangladesh High Commission in Canberra, Australia, yesterday marking the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day.

She also thanked the Bangladeshi people for taking the leadership in defending their own mother language and promoting the mother languages of other people.

Speaking on the occasion, John Hargreaves, minister for housing and multicultural affairs, ACT government, promised that he will also speak to Chief Minister John Stanhope to observe the International Mother Language Day in ACT in a suitable manner, according to message received in Dhaka.

Earlier, Bangladesh High Commissioner M Humayun Kabir requested Annette Ellis and John Hargreaves to consider taking some initiatives to declare February 21 as National Mother Language Day in Australia.

Dr Darrell Tryon, director of Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies of ANU, said that like bio-diversity we should also think of linguistic diversity with equal importance.

Bangladesh-Australia Association Canberra Inc, PrioAustralia.com and Bangla Academy Australia joined hands with the high commission to organise the programme.