Jurana Aziz

The purpose of this paper is to advocate for equal linguistic rights for ethnic minority language speakers in Bangladesh and encourage multilingualism in education policy. To collect data, the researcher analyzed existing policy documents regarding linguistic rights for ethnic minorities and conducted a qualitative content analysis to evaluate how international and regional practices for minority-language education were being implemented in the country's language policy. Language policy refers to the planning of languages that a country chooses to promote for social, cultural, political, and economic development. Bangladesh does not have a formal national language policy, but instead follows an informal policy based on the National Education Policy (Awal, 2019). According to Skutnabb-Kangas (2006), all language communities have the right to access all the necessary resources, including trained teachers, appropriate teaching methods, textbooks, funding, buildings, equipment, and traditional and modern technology, to ensure that their language is present in all levels of education within their territory to the extent they desire. Experts estimate that there are currently just under 7,000 languages spoken in the world (Hoffman, 2009). However, despite the vast number of languages, only a select few are commonly used as the primary language of education. This trend is also evident in Bangladesh. There are currently 50 ethnic communities recognized by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in Bangladesh who speak at least 36 different languages. The ethnic minority communities in Bangladesh often face pressure to abandon their native languages and adopt Bengali which can lead to the disappearance of their unique cultural and linguistic heritage, which is disheartening considering that Bangladesh fiercely fought for language rights in 1952. To manage the situation, policymakers should contemplate altering the existing national language policy or establishing a new one. Thus this paper critically examines current practices in Bangladesh that relate to maintaining the linguistic rights of the ethnic minority population. Additionally, it advocates for implementing policies that support linguistic diversity and provides recommendations to promote multilingualism and language rights. This is essential for addressing cultural diversity and human rights while preserving and promoting linguistic diversity to sustain human development through language practices.