One man is trying to save a language in Bangladesh with only six native speakers
Millions of Bangladeshis will observe the International Mother Language Day on February 21, 2024, with 98 percent of them being speakers of the predominant language, Bangla. According to anthropological studies and Indigenous sources within Bangladesh, there are approximately 5 million people belonging to 48 Indigenous and ethnic groups who speak over 41 minority languages. Regrettably, between 12 to 18 of these languages are on the verge of extinction.
Among these endangered languages is “Rengmitca,” which is spoken in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. In 1999, David A. Peterson, a professor at Dortmund College in the United States, visited Bangladesh to study indigenous languages and, in 2009, documented and categorized Rengmitca as a Khomic language belonging to the Kuki-Chin family. The language is distinct but closely related to the nearby languages Khumi and Mro.
Presently, only six people, all aged over 60, can speak this language well. If they die, the language and culture will be lost in Bangladesh.
