Language Movement Of Bangladesh (1952)

When the British left the Indian subcontinent in 1947, they divided the country into two parts.
The Western and Eastern parts became Pakistan while the middle part became India.

Pakistan's western and eastern wings were very different in their culture and languages. The only
tie was their common religion. After independence, most of the leaders of Pakistan were from
West Pakistan, and many of them wanted to make Urdu as the only national language of
Pakistan. However, the Bengalis from East Pakistan were the majority (56%) of the population.
Urdu was quite unknown to them, and the Bengalis wanted the equal status of their mother
language: Bengali language.

Initially, there were hopes that both Urdu and Bengali will have equal status. But in 1952, the
government finally declared Urdu to be the only national language. This meant that Bengalis
would not be able to use their own language for official purposes, documents, jobs etc. There
was a spontaneous movement against it. Students, teachers, poets, politicians united to protest
against the government.

On 21st February, the government declared a ban on any processions or protests in Dhaka, the
capital of East Pakistan. The Bengali students started a peaceful procession in support of Bengali
language. Near Dhaka Medical College campus, Pakistani Police force fired upon the protesters
and killed a large number of students (including Salam, Barkat, Rafique, Jabbar, Shafiur). The
protest went on and became a nationwide movement. Finally, the government of Pakistan gave
equal status to the Bengali language as the national language of the country.

The language movement caused Bengalis to unite, and later this led to the liberation of
Bangladesh as an independent nation in 1971.

To commemorate the sacrifice of the language activists, a monument named the "Shaheed
Minar" (or the language martyr's monument) was built on the site of the massacre. The Pakistan
Police initially demolished the structure, but it was rebuilt. Every year, Bengalis commemorate
this event with a renewed pledge of love for their language. A month-long book fair is organized
near the monument, and the day is a national holiday. In recognition of the Bengali language
movement of 21st February, the United Nations declared it as the International Mother Language
Day.
 North South University

Name: Sajjadul Arifin

ID: 1311178630
Course: HIS103.5
Faculty: AHO
Topic: Language Movement Of Bangladesh (1952)
সমতe
ইতিহাসতিদেরা কেউ কেউ মদে েদরে, সমিট িিতমাে েুতমল্লার প্রাচীে োম।
আিার কেউ কেউ মদে েদরে, েুতমলা ও কোযাখালী অঞ্চল তেদয সমিট
গঠিি হদযতিল। আিার অদেদের মদি সমিট এর প্রাণদেন্দ্র তিল
'লালমাই-মযোমতি' এিং প্রাচীে েুতমল্লা অঞ্চদলর োম তিল সমিট। তিষ্টীয
চিু র্ ত শিাব্দী কর্দে (োরও োরও মদি সপ্তম শিাব্দী) দ্বােশ শিাব্দী
ত এই জেপদের তিস্িৃতি তিল প্রায ৫০০ মাইল এিং িিতমাে ভারদির
পর্ন্ত
ত্রিপুরা কজলা তিল সমিদটর অেযিম অংশ।

সপ্তম শিাব্দীদি সমিদটর রাজধােী তিল ত্রিপুরা রাদজযর োমডা অঞ্চদল। এে

সময এ জেপদের পত্রিম সীমা চত্রিশ পরগোর খাতড পরগো পর্ন্ত ত তিস্িৃি
তিল। গঙ্গা-ভাগীরর্ীর পূি ত িীর কর্দে শুরু েদর কমঘোর কমাহো পর্ন্ত ত
সমুেেূলিিী অঞ্চলদেই সম্ভিি িলা হদিা সমিট। েুতমলা শহদরর ১২ মাইল
পত্রিদম িড োমিা োমে স্থােঠট সাি শিদে এর রাজধােী তিল।

চন্দ্রিংশীয রাজা ভিদেি েুতমল্লায আেন্দ তিহার িা শালিে তিহার প্রতিষ্ঠা

েদরে। এই সমদয তিহার এতশযার জ্ঞােচচতার কেন্দ্রতিন্দুদি পতরগতণি হয। কস
সময এদে তিশ্বতিেযালদযর মর্াো ত কেওযা হয। তিখযাি চচতেে পতরব্রাজে
তহউদযে সাং আেন্দ তিহাদর আদসে। িখে তিহাদর চার হাজার তভক্ষু তিল।
তিতে মযোমিী অঞ্চদল ৩৫ঠট তিহার কেখদি পাে।

বততমান অবস্থা
িিতমাে িাংলাদেদশর িৃহত্তর েুতমল্লা ও িৃহত্তর কোযাখালীর অন্তগিত
ব্রাহ্মণিাডীযা, েুতমল্লা, চাাঁেপুর,লক্ষ্মীপুর, কোযাখালী ও কেেী কজলা তেদয তিদলা
সমিট অঞ্চল। িিতমাদেও এ অঞ্চদলর সাংস্কৃতিে অতভন্নিা রদযদি। এই
অঞ্চল তেদয েুতমল্লা তিভাগ োদম প্রশাসতেে তিভাগ (প্রস্তাতিি). এই
অঞ্চদলর সাংস্কৃতিে অতভন্নিা অটুট রাখদি এিং আঞ্চতলে ঐেয প্রতিষ্ঠায
িৃহত্তর সমিট ঐেয সংসে োদম সাংস্কৃতিে সংগিেঠট গুরুত্বপূণ ত ভূ তমো
পালে েরদি।
 হরিকেল
ইতিহাস

তিষ্টীয সপ্তম শিাব্দীদি প্রাচীে ভারিীয কলখেগণ পূিভারিীয

ত এেঠট অঞ্চলদে হতরদেল
িদল উদল্লখ েদরে। সপ্তম শিাব্দীদি চচতেে পতরব্রাজে তহউদযে সাঙ এর অিস্থাে
তেদেতশ েদরদিে পূিভারদিরত পূিসীমায।
ত েিম শিাব্দীর সাতহিযেম েপূ
ত রমঞ্জরীদি
ত এ-
িক্তদিযর সমর্েত পাওযা র্ায। এ-গ্রদে হতরদেদলর োরীদের পূি িঙ্গীয
ত োরীদের অন্তভুক্ত
ত
তিদিচো েরা হয। িদি তহউদযে সাঙ তেংিা অেয কেউ এর কভৌদগাতলে অিস্থাে
সমপদেত তিশে কোদো তিিরণ কেে তে। এিাডাও হতরদেল সম্পদেত পরিিী সমদর্র
কলখে এিং োতহেীোরদের তিতভন্ন তিভ্রাতন্তের ও পরস্পর তিদরাধী িক্তিয রদযদি। েদল
তিলুপ্ত এ-রাদজযর অিস্থাে তেরৃপণ ও শোক্তীেরদণ জঠটলিা িৃত্রি কপদর্দি। দ্বােশ
শিাব্দীর অতভধাে রচতর্িা কহমচন্দ্র িাাঁর অতভধােতচন্তামতণদি হতরদেলদে িদঙ্গর
সমেক্ষরৃদপ িণো ত েদরদিে। এিাডা ঢাো তিশিতিেযালদর্র গ্রোগাদর সংগৃহীি েুঠট
পরিিীসমদর্র পাণ্ডুতলতপদি কোে উৎস িা কোে প্রমাণাতের উদল্লখ িাডাই হতরদোলদে
(সম্ভিি হতরদেদলর সাদর্ অতভন্ন) তসদলদটর সমার্ে ত রূদপ উদল্লখ েরা হদর্দি।[১]
 The Gauda
As an ancient human settlement, Gauda is the important Janopad of Bengal. The discovered
evidence suggests that ancient Gauda located at coastal region. The famous & the first independent
ruler of Gauda is Shashanka. He ruled Gauda at the 7th century AD and his capital was the
Karnasuborna which is located at present Murshidabad district. The Janapad of Gauda lay to the
west of Bhagirathi and that its core area was Murshidabad.
In the 13th century, under the Sultans, Gauda denoted the entire area of the Muslim sultanate. Its
capital also called Gaur or Lakhnaboti, located at present Chapai Nawabgonj district.

Somotate
Samatate is an ancient territorial unit in ancient Bengal. It was located at the mouth of
Brahmaputra River (near Comilla) in the south-east of Bengal. Chinese traveler Hiuen-tsang
visited Samatat at 7th century AD. As per his account, it was the South-eastern part of Bengal
and was a Buddhist cultural center. Bihar was the center of the knowledge and literature in Asia
at that time. The archaeological discoveries in the Lalmai-Mainamati area, it can now be stated
with certainty that Samatata was formed at Comilla-Noakhali areas and the adjacent parts of
hilly Tripura.

The Harikela
Harikela is another geographical entity in ancient Bengal. But it is so difficult to locate it. Most
of the evidence support that Harikela is similar to our present Sylhet region. Another
archeological evidence suggests its location at present Chittagong district. Although conclusive
evidence regarding the exact location Harikela does not as yet exist, these indications prove
beyond doubt that the ancient kingdom of Harikela was situated in the Chittagong area, most
probably in the Ramu, Dianga, or in Chittagong metropolitan area. But its is sure that, Harikel
was situated by the side of Samatat.
On 11 March 1948 a general strike was observed in protest against the omission of Bangla from
the languages of the Assembly, the absence of Bangla letters in Pakistani coins and stamps, and
the use of only Urdu in recruitment tests for the navy. leaders such as Kazi Golam Mahboob,
Shamsul Huq, Oli Ahad, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and others were arrested.

The situation grew worse in the days that followed. Muhammed Ali Jinnah was due to visit Dhaka
from 19 March. The provincial government became nervous and Nazimuddin under pressure of
widespread agitation.

He enter into negotiations with the Committee of Action. An agreement was signed by Nazimuddin
with the Committee which, provided that the Provincial Assembly shall adopt a resolution for
making Bengali the official language of East Pakistan and would recommend to the central
government that Bengali should be made one of the state languages

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and its first Governor-General, while on a visit to
East Bengal, declares in Dhaka University convocation that while the language of the province can
be Bengali.

“State language of Pakistan is going to be Urdu and no other language. Any one who tries
to mislead you is really an enemy of Pakistan.”

The remark evoked an angry protest from the Bengali youth who took it as an affront: their
language Bangla (Bengali) was, after all, spoken by fifty-four percent of the population of
Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, then a university student, was among those who raised the
protest slogan and was placed under detention. The Dacca University campus became the focal
point for student meetings in support of the Bangla language. Jinnah meets the student
representatives of the Committee of Action to persuade them of the necessity of having one
national language, but the students are not convinced. By the beginning of 1952, the Language
Movement took a serious turn. Khwaja Nazimuddin had succeeded Liaquat Ali Khan as prime
minister of Pakistan.

Bengali people started losing faith in the Muslim League. A new party, the Awami Muslim League-
which would later become the Awami League-was formed under the leadership of Maulana
Bhasani in 1949. There was a growing sense of deprivation and exploitation. The economic
condition in East Pakistan also deteriorated. Under these circumstances, the Language
Movement got a new momentum in 1952.

On 27 January 1952, Khwaja Nazimuddin came to Dhaka from Karachi. Addressing a meeting at
Paltan Maidan, he said that the people of the province could decide what would be the provincial
language, but only Urdu would be the state language of Pakistan. There was an instantaneous,
negative reaction to this speech among the students who responded with the slogan,
'Rashtrabhasha Bangla Chai' (We want Bangla as the state language).
A strike was observed at Dhaka University on 30 January. The representatives of various political
and cultural organizations held a meeting on 31 January chaired by Bhasani. An All-Party Central
Language Action Committee was formed with Kazi Golam Mahboob as its convener. At this time
the government also proposed that Bangla be written in Arabic script. This proposal was also
vehemently opposed.

The Language Action Committee decided to call a hartal and organise demonstrations and
processions on February 21 throughout East Pakistan.

As preparations for demonstrations were underway, the government imposed Section 144 in the
city of Dhaka, banning all assemblies and demonstrations. A meeting of the Central Language
Action Committee was held on 20 February under the chairmanship of Abul Hashim. Opinion was
divided as to whether or not to violate Section 144. The students, under their leaders - Abdul
Matin and Gaziul Haque - were adamant. Thousands of students from different schools and
colleges of Dhaka assembled on the university campus while armed police waited outside the
gate. When the students emerged in groups, shouting slogans, the police resorted to baton
charge; even the female students were not spared.

The police fired upon the students, who were proceeding towards the Assembly Hall. Three
young men, Rafiq, Jabbar and Barkat (an MA student) were fatally wounded and later died. A
nine-year-old boy named Ohiullah was also killed. Hearing the news of the shooting, some
members of the Assembly, including Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish and some opposition
members, went out and joined the students.