Miller launches Share America’s Bengali language website

To celebrate International Mother Language Day 2021 and in honour of Bangladesh’s upcoming 50th anniversary of independence, U.S. Ambassador Earl Miller officially launched ShareAmerica’s Bengali language website (share.america.gov/bn/) on Thursday, February 18. This new resource is a visible symbol of U.S. respect for Bangladeshi history and culture and its commitment to sharing accurate and timely information with millions of Bengali speakers in Bangladesh and around the world. This free resource is accessible to all. – US Embassy press release
Video from the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTvp-HSRil4&feature=youtu.be
Speaking at the launch Ambassador Miller said: International Mother Language Day not only holds a special place in the heart of Bangladeshis around the world, but February 21 is also a symbol of the defence of all languages. It was the 1952 language movement in Bangladesh that eventually led the United Nations to designate February 21 as International Mother Language Day.
I had the honour to meet one of my heroes, Nelson Mandela when I was the U.S. Consul General in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mandela recognized the power and importance of connecting, human to human, heart to heart, through mother languages. He said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
He said, last year for International Mother Language Day, the Embassy launched our Bengali language website, ensuring Bengali speakers from across Bangladesh and around the world could easily access information on a broad range of issues.
With today’s launch, this new Bengali site is one of only 10 languages with their own webpages on the ShareAmerica platform.
In honour and celebration of Bangladesh’s 50 years of independence and the U.S.- Bangladesh relationship, this site will serve as a visible, daily remembrance of U.S. respect for Bangladeshi history and culture, Miller added.