How Ekushey created Bangladesh

Hiren Pandit:

The nation had to set out twice to establish the Bangla language -- the mother tongue of the Bangali nation -- as one of the state languages of Pakistan. The first time was in 1948, and the second time was in 1952.

After the birth of Pakistan, they had started a heinous conspiracy to reduce Bangla to a third-class status. Bangla is not the language of Muslims -- it is an anti-Islamic language. This was made clear at the 1946 session of the Pakistan National Assembly in Karachi. Pakistan was a new state, so Shaheed Dhirendra Nath Dutta, along with many others from East Bengal, participated in the session convened to set some new laws, some new directions. He raised the first demand in parliament that Bangla, the mother tongue of the majority of East Bengal, should be recognized as one of the state languages of Pakistan.

This demand made Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan furious. Khwaja Nazimuddin and others said that Bangla could never be the state language of Pakistan -- because it is the language of India, the language of Hindus, the anti-Islamic language -- and those who made this claim were enemies of Pakistan, brokers of India.

Dhirendra Nath Dutta was not a man to give up. He left the session and returned to East Bengal as soon as possible. When the news of that session of the Pakistan National Assembly was published on local and foreign radio, the leftist youths of Dhaka University gave a huge reception to Dhirendra Nath Dutta. From that very moment, a new trend of student unity began to develop; it was decided that there should be a movement to demand recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan.

The language movement was inaugurated on March 11 by holding processions and demonstrations in violation of section 144. Mass arrests were made. Some were released shortly after; some were detained for years. March 11, 1948, was celebrated as Flag Day. During this period, at the Curzon Hall of Dhaka University, a student leader protested against Muhammad Ali Jinnah's statement: "Urdu and Urdu alone shall be the state language of Pakistan."

1952 came after many more such incidents. Dhaka University Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad had already been formed under the leadership of Abdul Matin. The All-Party State Language Struggle Council was formed. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was imprisoned during the language movement in 1948 and 1952.

The meeting of the All-Party State Language Struggle Council discussed what would happen if section 144 was issued on February 21. Some of the representatives of the two parties said that it would not be right to break section 144 if there was an election ahead of the meeting.

The extensive discussion concluded that whether section 144 would be broken or not would be decided in the student meeting convened on February 21 on university premises. It was decided to accept the support of ordinary students.

On February 21, 1952, a few brave Bangali youths laid down their lives to protect the dignity of their mother tongue. With that tragic event taking place on the streets of Dhaka, the seed of our nationhood was sown, which eventually sprouted and gave us the strength and fortitude to press for autonomy, and eventually freedom, from the Pakistani regime.

When Urdu was declared as the only official language of the state of Pakistan, it was a blatant denial of the right of the Bangalis -- who formed the majority of the population of Pakistan -- to speak, think, and write in their mother tongue. When the brave sons of this land most unselfishly embraced martyrdom to counter the designs of the Pakistani rulers, this step was written into history as the courageous act of a people who fought to uphold the dignity of their national pride.

For Bangalis, as the years passed by, the yearning to free themselves from the shackles of exploitation gained momentum, as the world witnessed the political movements of the 1960s ushering in the six-point charter of the Awami League, the 11-point demands of the students, the mass movement of 1969, and ultimately the Liberation War of 1971 that gave birth to Bangladesh.

By 1969, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman raised the issue of full regional autonomy for East Pakistan. The election of 1970 saw the Awami League, led by Bangabandhu, winning a majority of seats in the National Assembly to form a government.

But that was never to happen.

The Pakistani military regime blatantly rejected the result, and openly threatened the legitimate elected people's representatives of dire consequences.

On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistan Army executed Operation Searchlight. We lost millions. But the resilient people of the soon-to-be Bangladesh did not give up. They won their freedom, their rights, and their mother tongue.

It has been 70 years. We have crossed all major hurdles Bangladesh could have faced, and we still stand tall; and so we shall continue to. As long as we remember our past, present, and future, nothing will and no one can deter Bangladesh.

The language movement was a struggle for culture and self-preservation, and awakened the sense of rights and independence of Bangalis. The language movement has, directly and indirectly, influenced all political, social, and cultural activities since 1952.

It was through the language movement that the first rebellious attitude against the rule and exploitation of Pakistan was manifested. It can be said that the language movement was the beginning of the realization of all kinds of rights of Bangalis. This movement instilled morale and self-confidence in the minds of people, which evoked a sense of nationalism.

Bangladesh has now established a unique position. Our name is being used loudly in world politics. In the new world, we face new challenges every day. We must all come forward together to meet the challenges of this 21st century. Bangalis have never lost in the past, nor will they lose in the future. With the cooperation of all, regardless of party affiliation, Bangladesh will stand tall among the nations of the world.

Writer: Researcher and columnist.

Courtesy: Dhaka Tribune