By reading
this article, the reader will be abble to learn the primitive stage of language
movement, major causes behind the movement, Tamuddin Majlish, Major event of
language movement, Consequence and significance, Shahid Minar, Achievement of
Language Movement, language martyrs and specifically the background behind the
International Mother Language Day. Reader can also answer why 21 February is
called International Mother Language Day.
Overview of Bangla Language
Users
Currently
the following is the stat of total Bengali users around the world –
§ Bangladesh 59.99%
§ India 38.21%
§ Other Country 1.8%
Primitive Stage of
Language Movement
Right to mother language is one of the important citizen rights.
The mother language of the 56% majority people was Bangla; Urdu was not the
mother language of any regions in Pakistan. But the attempt was made to impose
Urdu as state language. The attempt to impose Urdu as state language in an
undemocratic manner was resisted by the Bangalis. The movement was thus
initiated by the Bangalis which has been known as Language Movement. In an
Education Conference in Karachi held in December 194 7, Urdu was proposed as
state language. The student leaders, intelligentsia and political leaders of
East Bengal formed Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad on the struggle for State
Language. They demanded that Bangla be one of the state languages of Pakistan.
Consequently, we saw that in the first session of the Constituent Assembly of
Pakistan held on 23 February, 1948 Mr. Dhirendranath Dutta from Comilla, an
Assembly Member, tabled a bill of introducing Bangla as the language of
assembly along with Urdu and English. But from the beginning the Pakistani
rulers were not willing to accept this demand.
In the first stage of Language Movement, the students observed 11
March 1948 as the day for the demand of Bangla language, A general strike was declared
on that day. Student leaders of East Pakistan Muslim Student’s League (established
on January 4, 1948) who had been studying in the University of Dhaka were leading
this movement. In the Morning on 11 March police arrested Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, Shamsul Haq Oli Ahad and many others while they were picketing in
front of the Secretariat
In this stage of Language Movement, on 21 March of 1948, the founder
and the then Governor General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah upon his visit to
Dhaka declared at Race Course Maidan (currently Suhrawardy Uddyan) that “Urdu
and only Urdu shall be the state language of Pakistan". This declaration was
instantly protested. One of the prominent protesters was Bangabandhu. To
initiate and organize the movement, he played a leading role. Because of this he
was arrested several times. Before Jinnah's visit to Dhaka, an 8-point agreement
was signed between the Chief Minister of East Bengal Khawja Nazimuddin and the
student leaders. In that agreement, the decision was taken to take initiative for
according Bangla the status of one of the state languages. Jinnah repeated his
prior declaration while addressing the Convocation of students in Curzon Hall
on 24 March. The protests were also staged there. Breaking the agreement with the
students, Khawja Nazimuddin declared Urdu as the only state language on January
26, 1952 at Paltan Maidan. From this declaration started the second phase of
the language movement. The All party Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad was formed
with Kazi Gulam Mahbub as the Convenor. Before this, Dhaka University Rashtrabhasba
Sangram Committee was formed in the Dhaka Univexsity with Abdul Matin as the Convenor.
The renewed declaration of Urdu as the state language by Khawja Nazimuddin led
the students in East Bengal to rise in anger. In prison, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and Mobiuddin Ahmed went on hunger strike from 16 January to demand for release
of state prisoners and 'State language Bangla'. This added a new dimension to
the movement. On behalf of the students, general strikes and protest demonstrations
were called all over East Bengal on 21st February.
On the day before 21st February, the government declared a state
of emergency banning all meetings under section 11. In pursuance of the
previously declared program students organized meetings and took out procession
defying the section 144 imposed by the government. Police shot at the procession.
Consequently, Salam, Barkat, Jabbar and many others who were at the forefront of
the procession were shot dead instantly by police. The Pakistani ruling elites were
compelled to accept Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan. It was recognized
in 1956 Constitution. Bangali is the only nation in the world which sacrificed their
lives for the cause of language. According to the decision of UNESCO, the UN
recognized 21 February as the day of International Mother language (17
November, 1999). At present, our martyr day is celebrated as 'International Mother
Language Day' all over the world.
Though Pakistan was founded upon the religious identity,
Bangalis - beyond this religious identity- established their identity based on
language. So Language Movement made the Bangalis aware of their self rights. It
thus expedited their aspirations for national liberation.
Major Causes Behind the
Language Movement
Social
& Cultural
•
Language
is the crucial part of any culture.
•
“Urdu”
failed to represent our culture
POLITICAL
•
Bangla
must be lifted to achieve freedom in real sense
•
Domination
of any alien language is the worst kind
of domination
•
The
mistake became a weapon.
ECONOMICAL
•
Exclusion
of Bangla
•
People
will become “illiterate &ineligible”
•
Causing
economic downfall.
Tamuddun Majlish
September 1, 1947, under Principal Abul Kashem leadership, Pakistan Tamuddun Majlish, the initiating organisation of the Language Movement, was established. On September 15, 1947, Principal Abul Kashem published `Rashtro Bhasha Bangla Na Urdu?’.
Major Events of Language
Movement
IN 1947, 15th
November
Educator
Fazlur Rahman opposed “URDU” as the
national language in the Pakistan educational conference
IN 1947, 6th
December
Teachers
& students of the university of Dhaka demanded Bangla as an official
language
IN 1947, 30th
December
First
“Rashtro vasha Sangram Parishad” was formed by Tamuddun Majlish
1948, 23rd
February
Dhirendranath
Dutta a Bengali opposition member moves resolution in the frist session of
Pakistan constituent Assembly for recognize Bengali as a state language along
with Urdu & English.
1948, 11th march
A general
strike was observed in the towns of EAST Pakistan in protest against the
omission of Bangla from the language of the constituent assembly absence of Bangla
letters in Pakistan coins and stamps and use of Urdu in recruitment tests for
the navy.
In 1948
In
particular situation Khwaja Nazimuddin signed an eight-point agreement with the
student leader where it was mentioned
that Bengali will also be honored as one of the official language
1948, 21th
march
Mohammad
Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan in Dhaka university convocation “The state language
of Pakistan is going to be Urdu”
Dhirendranath
Datta noted that out of 69 million population of Pakistan, 44 million were from
East Pakistan and Bangla as their mother tongue.
1952,26th
january
In a
public meeting at paltan maidan Dhaka, prime minister Nazimuddin declares that
Urdu alone will be state language of Pakistan
1952, 31th
January
A
broad-based all party committee of action(ACPA) is constituted with Kazi Golam
Mahboob as convener and Maulana Bhashani as chairman and with two
representatives.
1952, 3rd February
In protest
meeting the committee of action decided
hold general strike on 21st February.
1952, 20th
February
An order
was promulgated under section 144 of the criminal procedure code prohibiting
processions and meeting in Dhaka.
1952, 21st
February
The
student of Dhaka university decided to defy the official ban in meeting and decided to protest in
peaceful procession. The police opened fired on student in front of medical
college hostel. Mohammad Salauddin ,Abdul Jabbar,Abdul Barkat,Rafiquddin
Ahmed,Abdus Salam were among those who became martyrs
1954, 9th
may
The
Pakistan government recognizes Bengali as a state language.
Consequences and
Significance
Decided
to commemorate 21st February as Shohid Dibosh by the Sorbodolio Kendrio Rashtrovasha Kormi
Porishod.
Feburuary
21,1956:
Recognition
made on the constitution that “the state language of Pakistan shall be URDU
& BENGALI
This
movement laid on major foundation.
Shaheed Minar
•
The
first Shaheed Minar was built immediately after the events of 21–22 February
1952
•
Shahid
minar was first made by the students of Dhaka Medical College
•
Shahid
minar was built to tribute the martyrs
who given up their life for language.
•
The
Minar was inaugurated by the father of Sofiur Rahman
•
It
was demolished on 26 February by the police and Pakistani Army
It is also
known as –
•
Moder
gorob
•
Omor
ekushe
•
Highest
Shahid Minar
•
Shriti
minar
•
Shahid
minar
Architect
•
Akhil
paul
•
Jahanara
Parvin
•
Robiul
Hossain
•
Hamidur
Rahman
•
Murtaja
Baseer
Place
•
Bangla
academy Chattar
•
Jahangirnagar
University
•
Jahangirnagar
University
•
National
University
•
Rajshahi
University
Achievement of Language
Movement
•
Declaration
of international mother language day
• UNESCO declare in 17th november1999,21st February as the International Mother Language Day.
How many were martyred in
1952 Language Movement?
On Saturday,
Feb 23, 1952, the ‘Sainik’ publication of the Language Movement was published.
In the news section it was stated that police fired on students gathering at
the medical college hostel on Thursday, killing seven people and injuring 300.
But, according to the report published in the Daily Azad, nine people were
killed in firing on Feb 21 and Feb 22.
Many bodies were
removed.
Calcutta-based
newspaper Daily Anandabazar published an article on Feb 23 titled “The Total
Death Toll from Thursday and Friday is 9”.
Pakistan’s
exiled writer Lal Khan wrote in his book “Pakistan’s Other Story: The
Revolution in 1968-69” that 26 people were killed and 400 injured in police
firing. The book was published in Lahore in 2008.
According to
information provided by Oli Ahad, organiser of Language Movement, no one
knows the exact number of people killed on Feb 22 in Victoria Park (now Bahadur
Shah Park), Nawabpur Road and Bangshal Road. Ahmad Rafiq mentioned the names of
Abdul Awal, Kishore Ahilyaullah and Sirajuddin among the dead in his book
“Ekush Theke Ekattor”.
Hassan Hafizur
Rahman edited the “Ekushey February” compilation. In this compilation, Kabir
Uddin Ahmed wrote an article on “Ekushey History”.
“The death of
eight is undoubtedly confirmed,” he wrote.
Accordingly, MR
Akhtar Mukul has made a list of eight language martyrs. Those killed on Feb 21
were identified as Rafiquddin Ahmad, Abul Barkat, Abdul Jabbar, Abdus Salam,
Shafiqur Rahman, Abdul Awal, Ahualullah and an unidentified boy. But only five
people were officially recognised as Language Martyrs – Abul Barkat, Abdul
Jabbar, Rafiquddin Ahmad, Abdus Salam and Shafiur Rahman. They received the
Ekushey Padak in 2000.
Barkat and
Jabbar were students of Dhaka University. Rafiq was the son of the owner
of Badamtali Commercial Press. They were killed on Feb 21, 1952. The next
day, on Feb 22, rickshaw puller Salam and High Court employee Shafiur died in
police firing. Two more names are found on the list of deaths on Feb 22, 1952 –
Ahualullah and Abdul Awal. On the website of the International Mother Language
Institute, these two are mentioned as Language Martyrs. Salahuddin’s name has
also been recognised as a Feb 21 martyr in many other places. But they are not
officially recognised.
The actual
number of Language Martyrs will be unknown to our next generation if the
government does not publish the proper information. The current generation is
eager to know the truth of a pivotal moment in the history of our country and
our culture.
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