Breaking News: Bangladesh Bans 'Banglish'

[bujhee kom]

Bangladesh Bans 'Banglish' To Protect Local Tongue

A Bangladesh court has outlawed the use of English slang known as "Banglish" on television and radio stations, a move welcomed by experts who worry about a foreign invasion of their language.

The High Court issued the order on Thursday "to uphold the sanctity of our mother tongue" and stop the "rape" of Bengali and its 1,000-year past, a state prosecutor said.

The history of Bengali, which is spoken by at least 250 million people on the subcontinent, is wrapped up with the creation of Bangladesh as a country in 1971.

The deeply impoverished nation was previously part of Pakistan and its independence movement was fuelled partly by the attempt by Pakistani administrators to impose Urdu as the state language.

The head of the Bangla Academy, a state-run institution that publishes books and conducts research on Bengali, said the verdict was "long overdue".

"These FM radios and televisions were creating a strange language and almost destroyed the dynamics of our beautiful mother tongue," Shamsuzzaman Khan told AFP.

"It is a timely order. It will save our language from destruction. We have already seen how the Filipino language lost its glory due to the imposition of American English," he said.

The court order comes just days before the country celebrates the 60-year anniversary of the Language Movement, a protest in which half a dozen students were shot dead as they protested Pakistan's move to impose Urdu.

Dozens of private television stations and radio stations that feature music and talk-shows directed at teenagers and people in their twenties have sprouted in Bangladesh over the last five or six years.

Use of "Banglish" in which Bengali and English words are mixed seamlessly together is widespread, as is "Hinglish" in India -- a combination of Hindi and English.

"The court has ordered them not to use words which are foreign to our language," deputy attorney general Altaf Hossain told AFP.

"It asked them not to broadcast or anchor programmes using distorted Bengali language or pronounce Bengali words in a distorted form," he said.

The court said this distortion of the language was tantamount to "rape", Hossain said, adding it had also ordered a committee to be set up to oversee how the language should be used by broadcasters.

Several students who spoke to AFP on Friday broadly welcomed the move as a wake-up call that would make them more aware of the importance of preserving Bengali, but none seemed to think "Banglish" would disappear.

"It sounds good and it's something different. This one of the reasons why FM radios are becoming popular," Jion, a 22-year-old student of Dhaka University, told AFP.

"A lot of people also hate this because they can't accept change. People who are fans of classic Bengali writers like Rabindranath Tagore, they won't like it," he added.

The court order followed a newspaper commentary piece entitled "Language pollution is as deadly as river pollution" by English language professor and Bengali fiction writer Syed Manjurul Islam on Thursday.

Professor Islam told AFP that he was concerned about the role the FM radios and television stations played in creating a language that was completely foreign to Bengali.

"I am a teacher and I can see everyday how these youths were distorting the language. Because of these stations, they are now talking in a language that's not Bengali. They can't even talk or write properly in Bengali," he said.

"I am greatly concerned. They are turning Bengali into a street language. It's like a developer constructing a building by uprooting the grave of his forefathers," he said.

Sabbir Hasan, a radio jockey at private Radio Today, also welcomed the verdict, but said the media was not the only one to blame.

"I understand the intention is to uphold the sanctity of our language, for which our students gave their lives," he said in a reference to the pre-independence protesters.

"But the reality is not only the media is responsible. Our young generation likes to talk this way, mixing English words in Bangla sentences. The tendency is more rampant in upper class people and private university students.

"Upper class people think it gives them status," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/bangladesh-ban...081727976.html



Ebaarer Shongraam Bhasha Rokkhar Shongraam!!! Jege Utho Banglaar Kamar-Kumar, Kreeshok, Sromik, Jogaillas, Chatro-chatri, Bura-buree o bacchara!! Jago Bangla aaj jege utho!!!

[Dilscoop]

Yaabuddy! Couldn't be happier for bd. At least be fluent in one language.

Now let's follow that up in BC. Stop the dhong-speak movement.

[Roni_uk]

Eita ki April fools day? Naki ami jeita reading korchi sheita asholei true? Kichui understand korte parchii na.

[Dilscoop]

This ain't no jshoke. This is serious stuff.

[tiger_bright]

Originally Posted by Dilscoop
This ain't no jshoke. This is serious stuff.

Yes. We as a people died to speak our Bangla. to have it ruined is not acceptable to me. bangladesh must mean land not just of the people, but of the language, the food, the dress.

we should reject other inputs.

[Banglatiger84]

Originally Posted by tiger_bright
Yes. We as a people died to speak our Bangla. to have it ruined is not acceptable to me. bangladesh must mean land not just of the people, but of the language, the food, the dress.

we should reject other inputs.

how will you "reject inputs" when you come to food and dress?

[F6_Turbo]

People said they wanted activists courts, well you've got them.

Brother ami jani naa, what is the use of ei typer ruling. Eishob too much.

Being serious for a minute - mixing english and bangla isn't the problem, the problem is girls named Sokhina Begum from Narayanganj, pretending like they can't pronounce Bangla anymore, and realizing that while Catherine Mashud has been practicing her Bangla for years to make it sound more authentic, we have an entire generation that now, is practicing the opposite.


a question, is dhakaiia our ghetto?

sup cuz = khobor ki mama?









For shizzle.

[zsayeed]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo

sup cuz = khobor ki mama?

traslation error, sup cuz - khobor ki talto bhai?

(actually a gangster term which I rather not repeat)

[Isnaad]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
Being serious for a minute - mixing english and bangla isn't the problem, the problem is girls named Sokhina Begum from Narayanganj, pretending like they can't pronounce Bangla anymore, and realizing that while Catherine Mashud has been practicing her Bangla for years to make it sound more authentic, we have an entire generation that now, is practicing the opposite.

Agree totally.

[zsayeed]

Who was that woman in Channel 9 with total faltu Banglish...? Oh yes, looked up old forum post: Shajeyda afa
She is the reason for this 'Ban' - shob noshther mul. "Shakib Can I have you? Ami Tomakey petey pari?"

[Bancan]

Isnt this some sort of violation of freedom of speech?

[BANFAN]

Originally Posted by Bancan
Isnt this some sort of violation of freedom of speech?

I think it is. These kind of rulings won't remain for long. And I don't believe mixing with other language diminishes a language. Hndi being a much weaker language than Bangla, isn't diminishing through adoption of words from various languages, it's getting enriched. English hasn't banned speaking different dialects and adopting words.

These are Awami political stunts... They think Bakshal is the only way ..... dictatorial..

IMO, Let people do whatever they like with language, at the end, whatever the people accept will last... Others will diminish in natural process, you can't make a law on how people will speak...??

Well, as I read in the news, it wasn't mixing of English, but distorted pronunciation or joking with language, that has been barred. However, even that is dictatorial... Against the freedom of speech as you said.

[F6_Turbo]

Originally Posted by BANFAN

These are Awami political stunts... They think Bakshal is the only way ..... dictatorial..

Ahh yes...the rants of the ill informed.

The bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Jahangir Hossain gave the ruling of its own volition prohibiting 'language pollution' as an interim measure until a hearing.

The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision.

The court also ordered the secretaries of culture and information ministries, heads of Bangladesh Television and Radio, chief of the telecom regulatory authority, heads of all private television channels and those heading Radio Today, ABC Radio and Radio Foorti to give their replies within 10 days.

The judges ordered formation of a committee headed by Bangla Academy chairman professor Anisuzzaman. This committee has been charged with recommending measures to prevent pollution of the language, distorted pronunciation, pronunciation of Bengali words in foreign accent, using wrong words and decadence of the language. The report has to be submitted by Mar 20.

The verdict was triggered by an article by Dhaka University English professor Syed Manzurul Islam published in the daily Prothom Alo on Thursday.

Secretary general of the Dhaka University Alumni Association Rakib Uddin Ahmed brought that article to the court's attention. It's heading, translated into English, reads, "Language pollution is as destructive as river pollution."

The order stated, "Worried and distraught over the distortion of the language, Rakib Uddin has desired the intervention of court."

The court said that it was inclined to hear the views of Rafiq-Ul Haque, Rokanuddin Mahmud, Maudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Akhter Imam, DU dean of arts Prof Sadrul Amin, writer Syed Shamsul Haque and Syed Manzurul Islam in this regard.

http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=218360&cid=2

[Zeeshan]

Now ban Rickshawalish...

oy HPH tore na koisi ami dayne more nitasi...!!!! (you decipher the acronym...)

[Bonglababu]

keno rickshawala ki manush na? american english to amader rickshawalish er cheyeo kharap. rickshawala jodi nodia zilla-r bhasay bole " ei ei soro soro ami dane jabo"
"ei tumi amake dhakka dile keno?" ... how would you like it?

Originally Posted by Zeeshan
Now ban Rickshawalish...

oy HPH tore na koisi ami dayne more nitasi...!!!! (you decipher the acronym...)

NB: answer is halar po hala

[RazabQ]

About time. I went to Dhaka last year and Radio Foorti made me feel like going postal!

[shaad]

Originally Posted by RazabQ
About time. I went to Dhaka last year and Radio Foorti made me feel like going postal!

Is that the one with a somewhat "neka" sounding male announcer/host? My driver was listening to it in the car when I was in Dhaka this December.

[simon]

I'm so happy, "this news just made my day" should have been done long time ago.

I think there are 2 types of "Banglish",
Banglish type 1 is when people use too many Eng. words while talking in Bangla
Banglish type 2 is when BAngla alphabets specially র pronounced as Eng. "R"
both are annoying
But I think parents need to play a big role here too, I got two cousin-sisters ,both go to Eng. medium and speak Banglish -______- but their parents don't seem to bother. -___-

[Dilscoop]

And the typing form ^

[Boomerang]

Its a great move. Now if there are any western based program then the host need to be educated and fluent in english. Because the full program should be in english and no annoying Banlish in middle.

[Jadukor]

Not liking this ruling at all... now it will be harder to separate the idiots from the normal people i talk to

[shaad]

FYI, here's a link to Syed Manzurul Islam's article that precipitated this decision.

[Dilscoop]

IDK why 3 of you are upset by this. This is a great move for people's ears. I don't care what happens to the language (well I do but), I'm more concerned about how douche and uneducated these people sound. It's about time someone told them it doesn't sound kool.

A while ago my parents had an exchange student from Dhaka. And boy, every time she opened her mouth I felt like duct taping her whole face. Don't pretend like you can't pronounce the Bangla words- your first langue.

[shuziburo]

I don't believe the mixing of English words was the real issue. Every language assimilates words from other languages. The biggest problem, IMHO, is the fact that some DJ on radio station are speaking Bangla using a 'foreign' (fake?) accent, which drove me nuts the last time I was in Dhaka. I was told that they are very popular with some young listeners.

I don't think our young generation is being taught about our glorious struggle for our language and freedom. If they did, they would deplore these antics and Bollywood would be less popular than it is. It appears that my daughter and son, growing up in the Northeastern USA can speak Bangla with more proper accent than many who are growing up in Dhaka. Grrrrr....

[bujhee kom]

What it is bhais and apus, is nothing but a deep, scarred, damaged sense of INSECURITY in these people's mind. These come from a false sense of class (Sreni-shochenota), 'I am better than you, the mass majority of poor, mango people' ....I speak , ami ekhaney achi with a little bit of English thrown in here and there, so that I can seperate myself from the mass who say, 'Ji bhai, ami eikhaney aisha porsi.."...we always had this in our society even in the 60s, 70s just in a lesser context but it proliferated, advanced andnow took over a bit larger group of people.....It's all about disasscociating yourselves from your culture/tongue/historical relation due to self-hatred, hatred toward your own people and memories. It is abnout showing off that we have more money than the mass thus we speak in a different tongue. Segregationist, seperatist, I am better/higher than thou mentality.

It's all done with the very similar manner and originated from the same mindset that their parents put/sowed/harvested in them. It's about a big vacuum/void in the souls, spirit and EDUCATION! It all boils down to corruption, political, philosophical voids, Educational voids....And mostly UNHEALTHY parenthood and lack of ability to raise a child properly. You will see all these DJs, young folks that do/speak this shameless way have genuine corrupt, soulless, (truly) uneducated parents. These parents failed to instill values, human understanding, true respect for art, culture, literature, root history into their children as they themselves are corrupt to begin with....I don't need to explain this any further.

It's all about faking an identity....portraying yourself as someone who you are not!

It comes from a deeply rooted complex of not having nothing (mind you not material wealth but true conscience, true education)....some of these fools will come from rich/wealthy families abnd some will be coming from middle-class families....as things get contaminated, very much like a virus. I have cousins that speak in this manners BUT NOT in front of me when I speak in Brahmanbairan terms, tone and dialect with all Bangalis - Bangladesh to West Bengal. I say you speak to me again in that 'DHONG' tone with a fake Banglish accent I will knock your bloody molars (spell! meaning Chaapar Daat) from one side to another! I tell them, I am the one with Ivy-League degrees here and you speak to me in this way being my little cousins with your blank empty skull???, I slap them and their mothers and fathers (my Othorbo/corrupt uncles/aunts) and soon they all urinate in their pants/paijamas in front of me and then they stop showing up next week or greet/salaam me from far.

By no means I am trying to show off to you all about me, I know very well I have nothing to prove to BC and to all of you guys, I know a long ago, you all accepted me as who I am.