[Recap] Sonar Bangla 🇮🇳🇧🇩 Meetup, Ep. 04, International Mother Language Day, Kolkata, Bengal

[ReshamDas]

Sonar Bangla Meetup, Ep. 04, a joint India-Bangladesh initiative on International Mother Language Day 2024 (সোনার বাংলা মিটআপ - পর্ব ০৪, একটি ভারত-বাংলাদেশ যৌথ উদ্যোগ, আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস ২০২৪)

Kolkata, West Bengal, India (কলকাতা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত)

(February 21, 2024 - ফেব্রুয়ারি ২১, ২০২৪)

The date of 21st February bears a special significance for the Bengali (বাঙালি) diaspora living around all parts of the world. On this day in the year 1952, several students of the Dhaka University in then, East Pakistan, sacrificed their lives during a peaceful rally in protest against the decision of the Pakistan administration of establishing Urdu as the national language, despite Bengali (বাংলা) being the majorly spoken language across West Pakistan and East Pakistan combined, as the police opened fire on the rally. This was a rare moment in global history when multiple people attained martyrdom while vouching for their mother tongue, and hence UNESCO declared this date as the International Mother Language Day (আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস) in 1999 to remind the world once every year about the importance of loving one's own mother tongue and saving it from extinction in this era of globalization.

Local Guides from Bangladesh and West Bengal, India gather at a monument in Deshapriya Park, Kolkata dedicated to the martyrs who gave their life in East Pakistan while expressing their honor for their mother tongue Bengali

The nation of Bangladesh 🇧🇩 and the Indian state of West Bengal 🇮🇳 observe this day with special importance being two major Bengali-speaking regions in the world, in themes of অমর একুশে (Immortal 21 February). This year, two of the Google Local Guides communities from this region - West Bengal Local Guides (পশ্চিমবঙ্গ লোকাল গাইডস) from India and Local Guides Bangla (লোকাল গাইডস বাংলা) from Bangladesh decided to commemorate the day by hosting a joint meet-up সোনার বাংলা মিটাপ, পর্ব-০৪ (কলকাতা) at Language Martyr's Monument (ভাষা শহীদ স্মারক), Deshapriya Park, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Bengali Language Martyr's Monument, Deshapriya Park, South Kolkata, West Bengal, India on International Mother Language Day 2024Local Guides Connect moderator and one of the top Local Guides from Bangladesh, @ShafiulB dada along with @KhokonSharker and M T Hassan Tushar traveled to Kolkata to attend this event physically as Nazmul Nt dada also joined us at the meetup venue. Local Guides from different parts of West Bengal also joined us such as Guiding Star & Accessibility Champion @PritishB, senior Local Guide and a veteran WBLG member @AmarjitD da, Accessibility Champion @KalyanPal, Roshan Singh and Niloy Das.

Attendees at Sonar Bangla Bhasha Dibos Meetup enjoying sip of famous hot tea of Kolkata served in clay pots

The event began at Kalighat metro station, as we moved to the venue where the Hon. Govt. of West Bengal was hosting an event to commemorate the very occasion in presence of the Hon. Chief Minister, Smt. Mamata Banerjee. After acknowledging our regards to the martyrs, we moved to the nearby Tandoor House restaurant as we hosted our guests from Bangladesh for a delicious lunch. There were lots of gift exchanges, chitchats, discussions regarding Local Guiding and photo-shoots throughout the day which made this day very special. The camaraderie between the Local Guides from the neighboring nations grew stronger as we vowed to work together in the near future to promote the Bengali language on global forums such as the Local Guides Connect or on the reviews we write on Google Maps locations. I must thank all the attendees for their precious time and enthusiasm to attend this event and make it extremely successful one!

Amar Ekushe - a tribute functions hosted by the Hon. State Govt. of West Bengal, India at the venue to commemorate International Mother Language Day (ভাষা দিবস)

 Local Guides from Bangladesh being guided by local boy Pritish on the streets of Kolkata, India

 Local Guides flaunting their Google Maps on their devices they use for contributing to the Local Guides program

 Guests from Bangladesh being feciliated by West Bengal Local Guides

 Stickers from Google Maps, Local Guides, India Local Guides, Local Guides Bangla and West Bengal Local Guides

 Local Guides from India and Bangladesh pose for the group pic with the posters designed by Connect Moderator Md Shafiul Bashar from Bangladesh

 Local Guides, assemble!

 Time for a dawaat by West Bengal Local Guides for our guests from Bangladesh

 Foods are served hot for Local Guides at Tandoor House, near Lake Mall, Kalighat, Kolkata

 A glimpse of what was cooking!

A conclusive image for the day as Local Guides from two neighboring nations stand tall together in front of the majestic Victorial Memorial Hall, Kolkata

A big thanks to all the Local Guides for their participation in this special Local Guides event to celebrate a historic day where we acknowledged our tributes to the brave legends who sacrificed their lives for the love of the Bengali language, and has earned a place in the history with an international recognition. The International Mother Language Day (আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস/অমর একুশে/ভাষা শহীদ দিবস) celebrations brought this group of Local Guides from India and Bangladesh together on the soil of Kolkata, resisting all blockades and barriers of borders that separate the countries. It was a great opportunity for the West Bengal Local Guides community members to interact, meet and greet with Connect Moderator @ShafiulB dada, who has been one of the guides to our community over the years, with his organization of multiple joint Local Guiding events between Bangladesh and India, this one being the latest and the grandest to join the elite list.

Connect Moderator and Local Guides Bangla chief Md Shafiul Bashar on the busy streets of South Kolkata

[ShafiulB]

@ReshamDas It's a huge and detailed Recap you shared brother. I am so honored to be mentioned here with some awesome compliments.  I am so thankful to be a part of this great event also. Bangladesh and India are always brothers,  Local Guides community connected us again with it’s opportunity.

মিটাপের কিছু গুরুত্বপূর্ন গ্রুপ ছবি এবং ব্যনারসহ এনিমেশন We learned a lot of things between our two countries' cultures and heritage. I think it's a great community exchange example for the Local Guides community. A big thanks go to @PritishB and @KalyanPal for their quality time and also for guiding us 03 days during our stay in Kolkata.

Here is my Bengali Recap of this big meetup! 

See you all again...

Happy Guiding! 

[DrShaunak]

Congratulations @ReshamDas @ShafiulB 

I did not attend your meet up due to my busy schedule. Hope you all enjoyed the event very much. Next time I will definitely attend your meet up event. 

[ReshamDas]

@ShafiulB dada, well said 🤝 India and Bangladesh are always brothers, and Google Local Guides is a platform that has been serving a big role in bringing that brotherhood in display, as we keep on working on arranging more virtual and physical meetups in the future, and work together to serve the greater purpose of this program. জয় হোক ভারত-বাংলাদেশ বন্ধুত্বের। জয় হোক লোকাল গাইডসের!

[KhokonSharker]

I feel very blessed to participate in the first international meetup of my life. After a long discussion with connect moderator @ShafiulB Bhaia we finally succeeded in holding this meetup in Kolkata. How much we were planning for this meetup. Visa complexities, travel transportation, office leave have all been done nicely and it's great to see the complete summary in recap. @PritishB da @KalyanPal da gave us so much time since the day before the meet up that @ShafiulB Bhaia, Tushar Bhai and my time became very valuable. The whole day of the meet-up was filled with many experiences and stories. We shared many experiences with local guiding.

However, the time spent with you will be noted as the most valuable time in my life on the Local Guides journey

Your gift in this meetup will be one of the happiest memories of my life. 

Gift from West Bengal Local Guides.

Local guides of two Bengals on the ground of Kolkata in the hot afternoon sun.

[ReshamDas]

@DrShaunak da, we missed you at the event. Hope to see you soon!

[deepakjhic]

A well written recap @ReshamDas .

Congratulations on a successful meet-up.

...

[ReshamDas]

@KhokonSharker bhai, well said. The scenes behind such a magnificent meetup has not been absolutely smooth enough, especially for you and @ShafiulB da, since you had to travel across the border, and that involved lots of planning, efforts, formalities and patience in the process of international travel, despite the distance being minimal even 80 years ago when there was no borders.

I also couldn't really give you guys much time owing to my busy schedule at office, but I acknowledge my deep regards to @PritishB and @KalyanPal for being there with you guys throughout the trip, and showcasing you the nooks and corners of the beautiful, gigantic city of Kolkata. I'm glad you enjoyed the event, and also I'm happy that we could acknowledge our tributes to the language martyrs together on this special day.

@deepakjhic thank you for your kind comments 😊

[Nitish-Bhatt]

Seems like a awesome meet up. Keep it up bro..

[ReshamDas]

It indeed was am awesome meetup @Nitish-Bhatt bro, thanks for your kind words.