Urgent steps needed to save Kharia language
Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan yesterday urged the government to take urgent steps to save Kharia language from oblivion.
He recommended setting up an academic institution to preserve this language among the community who speak it alongside fostering communication with regions of India where it is prevalent.
The CJ said this in response to questions from reporters after a meeting with the last two Bangladeshi speakers of the almost extinct language -- Christina Kerketta and Veronica Kerketta of Rajghat Tea Garden in Srimangal -- at Bangladesh Tea Research Center in Moulvibazar, said a Supreme Court press release.
Siblings Christina and Veronica's parents came to Bangladesh from Ranchi of India. The Kharia language is spoken in India's Jharkhand and Orissa states, it also said.
Talking to reporters, Obaidul Hassan highlighted the significance of language preservation for small ethnic groups. He also acknowledged the government's efforts through the Mother Language Institute to safeguard these languages and suggested that further modifications might be needed to enhance these preservation efforts.
"Our national language is Bangla, which serves as a common language. However, there are different mother tongues among people from many different communities, including the small ethnic groups," he said.
"When I learnt that only two women in Bangladesh could speak Kharia language and no one else could, I came here. The government should take initiative so that this language can be preserved. The books that I have seen here are a result of the initiatives taken by the government, but more has to be done in order to preserve Kharia language," he said.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Urmi Binte Salam were also present.
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