Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the higher court judges to write verdicts in Bangla so that justice-seekers can easily understand those without depending on lawyers.
"If those who work in courts practise the writing of verdicts in Bangla,less-educated people like us can at least get the scope to understand the judgments going through those," she said.
The prime minister was inaugurating a four-day programme taken by the International Mother Language Institute (IMLI), marking the Language Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day.
Sheikh Hasina said if the court verdicts are written in Bangla, the justice-seekers will not need to depend on their lawyers to understand those. "They (justice-seekers) fall victims to harassment in many cases also (for writing the court verdicts in English)", she said.
"They (judges) can translate the verdicts into English after writing those in Bangla."
She also said even if anyone wants to write the verdict in English, he or she can do that. "But there'll be a condition that the verdict will have to be published and circulated in Bangla."
"The International Mother Language Day is now observed in over 190 countries. 21st February is the day of establishing the right to speak in our mother tongue," she said, paying deep respects to the language martyrs and veterans.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned different incidents from the secret reports of Pakistani Intelligence Branch (IB) that reflected that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had played the leading role in the Language Movement since 1948.
Hasina said the government will soon complete publishing a book in 14 volumes on the 23 years' secret documents of the Pakistani Intelligence Branch. The first two volumes of the book have already been published.
Talking about the International Mother Language Institute, she said it has collected many lost mother tongues.
"This institute is gradually developing as an international standard one,” she added.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni presided over the function, while noted Indian thinker Prof Ganesh N Devy, who also Chairman of the People's Linguistic Survey of India, presented the keynote paper.
The premier also inaugurated a sign version of the historic March 7 Speech of Bangabandhu and unveiled the cover of brail publication of her article "Valobasi Matrivasa".
She also opened a library and an archive of writing rules of different languages at the International Mother Language Institute.
