Language Movement Day

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Language Movement Day
ভাষা আন্দোলন দিবস
21 February
FrequencyAnnual
First time1955[1]
Related toInternational Mother Language Day

Language Movement Day (

state language
of Bangladesh.

Background

Main article: Bengali language movement
Burma, Ceylon, and Pakistan (including East Bengal, from 1971 Bangladesh
).

After the

Pakistan Public Service Commission removed Bengali from the list of approved subjects, as well as from currency notes and stamps. The central education minister Fazlur Rahman made extensive preparations to make Urdu the only state language of the Dominion of Pakistan.[7] Public outrage spread and a large number of Bengali students met on the University of Dhaka campus on 8 December 1947 to formally demand that Bengali be made an official language. To promote their cause, Bengali students organised processions and rallies in Dhaka. The language movement prompted the people of East Bengal (later East Pakistan) to establish a separate national identity, distinct from that of the remainder of Pakistan (later West Pakistan.[8]
)

Protest

Procession march held on 21 February 1952 in Dhaka

At nine o'clock on the morning of 21 February 1952, students began gathering on the premises of the University of Dhaka in defiance of

Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish, Shorfuddin Ahmed, Shamsuddin Ahmed Khondokar and Mosihuddin Ahmed.[11] However Nurul Amin refused the requests.[2][11]

Effects

Constitutional reform

On 7 May 1954, the constituent assembly resolved, with the Muslim League's support, to grant official status to Bengali. Bengali was recognised as the second official language of Pakistan on 29 February 1956, and article 214(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan was amended to provide that "The state language of Pakistan shall be Urdu and Bengali."

However, the military government formed by

Ayub Khan made attempts to re-establish Urdu as the sole national language. On 6 January 1959, the military regime issued an official statement and reinstated the official stance of supporting the 1956 constitution's policy of two state languages.[12]

Independence of Bangladesh

Main article: Bangladesh Liberation War

Although the question of official languages was settled by 1956, the military regime of Ayub Khan promoted the interests of West Pakistan at the expense of East Pakistan. Despite forming the majority of the national population, the East Pakistani population continued to be under-represented in the civil and military services, and received a minority of state funding and other government help. This was mainly due to lack of representative government in the fledgling state. Mainly due to regional economic imbalances sectional divisions grew, and support for the Bengali ethnic nationalist Awami League, which invoked the 6-point movement for greater provincial autonomy. One demand was that East Pakistan be called Bangladesh (Land/Country of Bengal), which subsequently led to the Bangladesh Liberation War.[3]

Commemoration

See also: Shaheed Minar, Dhaka

To commemorate this movement, Shaheed Minar, a solemn and symbolic sculpture, was erected in the place of the massacre.[citation needed]

Following the formation of the provincial government by the United Front in April 1954, the anniversary of 21 February was declared a holiday.[1] The day is revered in Bangladesh where it is a public holiday and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in West Bengal as the Martyrs' Day.[citation needed]

UNESCO decided to observe 21 February as International Mother Language Day.[13] The UNESCO General Conference took the decision that took effect on 17 November 1999,[14] when it unanimously adopted a draft resolution submitted by Bangladesh and co-sponsored and supported by 28 other countries.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 984-07-2968-3
    .
  2. ^ a b c d Al Helal, Bashir (2012). "Language Movement". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  3. ^
    S2CID 145152852
    .
  4. ^ Morning News. 7 December 1947. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ The Azad (a daily newspaper) (in Bengali). Abul Kalam Shamsuddin, Dhaka. 11 December 1948. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ Umar, Badruddin (1979). Purbo-Banglar Bhasha Andolon O Totkalin Rajniti পূর্ব বাংলার ভাষা আন্দোলন ও তাতকালীন রজনীতি (in Bengali). Dhaka: Agamee Prakashani. p. 35.
  7. ISBN 984-401-523-5
    .
  8. ^ "University of Dhaka, Language Movement and Birth of a Nation". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 21 February 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Dhaka Medical College Hostel Prangone Chatro Shomabesher Upor Policer Guliborshon. Bishwabidyalayer Tinjon Chatroshoho Char Bekti Nihoto O Shotero Bekti Ahoto". The Azad (in Bengali). 21 February 1952.
  10. ISBN 0-16-017720-0. Archived
    from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  11. ^
    ISBN 984-401-523-5
    .
  12. JSTOR 3024111
    .
  13. ^ "Commemorating the International Mother Language Day- February 21". NewsGram. 21 February 2016. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Language Movement". Banglapedia. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Language Movement Day.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Language_Movement_Day&oldid=1182232454"