Language Movement of 1952: Birth of Bangladesh

Bangladesh appeared on the world map as an independent country in 1971 after a nine-month war of liberation in which nearly one million people died. The civil war in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) started when the Pakistani army launched a military offensive against the protesting Bengali people in March 1971. The war and subsequent independence of East Pakistan was the direct result of the policies adopted by the establishment based in West Pakistan and the treatment it meted out to the Bengali population.

There was a strong perception that Bengalis were the second-class citizens of Pakistan, and that the ruling elite in West Pakistan would not give them their rightful share. Economic underdevelopment, increasing poverty and unemployment existed alongside the denial of basic democratic and human rights. Combined with the economic, political, social and cultural dominance of the ruling elite of West Pakistan, this gave rise to the nationalist sentiments and mood among the masses of East Pakistan.

This peaked when the West Pakistan establishment refused to recognize the parliamentary majority won in East Pakistan and their right to head the federal government. Following the end of British direct colonial rule, India was partitioned and the independent states of India and Pakistan were created in 1947. The region of Bengal was divided along religious lines.

The predominantly Muslim eastern half became the East Bengal state (later renamed East Pakistan) of Pakistan, and the predominantly Hindu western part became the West Bengal state of India. Pakistan, itself, was made up of two areas, East and West, which were separated by more than 1,000 miles of Indian Territory.

While the West contained a minority of Pakistan's total population, it had the largest share of revenue allocation, and industrial, agricultural and infrastructure development. The Punjabis, Muhajirs and Pashtuns dominated the military and civil bureaucracy, the real power in the country which took full advantage of the weak political leadership and capitalist class. Bengalis were underrepresented in the state structures.

Only one regiment in the Pakistani army was Bengali. And many Bengalis felt that the bitter dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir left East Pakistan increasingly vulnerable and threatened. Political instability and economic difficulties marked Pakistan's history from its formation. In 1956, a constitution was finally adopted, describing the country as an 'Islamic republic within the Commonwealth'. The political musical chairs continued until the imposition of martial law in 1958 by General Ayub Khan.

This was maintained until 1962, when Khan declared himself president (and field marshal) - he stood down in March 1969. Martial law was again imposed between 1969, when General Yahya Khan took over, and 1971. Prolonged military rule further alienated the Bengali population. Not only did the gulf between rich and poor reach unprecedented levels, exacerbating class tensions, but the disparity between West and East Pakistan also reached new heights.

IN 1948, THE government of Pakistan ordained Urdu as the sole national language, sparking extensive protests among the Bengali-speaking majority of East Pakistan. Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent, the government outlawed public meetings and rallies. Students at the University of Dhaka and other political activists defied the law, organizing a protest on 21 February 1952, when a number of students were killed by the police. 

The deaths provoked widespread civil unrest led by the Awami Muslim League, later renamed the Awami League. After years of conflict, the central government relented and granted official status to the Bengali language in 1956.

The language movement was the catalyst for the assertion of Bengali national identity, the forerunner of the nationalist movements - including the six-point movement of the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which called for a federal government with a high level of autonomy - and the liberation war itself. The first election for the East Bengal provincial assembly was held from 8-12 March 1954. The Awami Muslim League, Krishak-Sramik party and Nezam-e-Islam formed the United Front, which won 215 of the 237 Muslim seats.

The ruling Muslim League got only nine seats, the Khilafat-E-Rabbani party got one, while independents took twelve. Later, seven independents joined the United Front and one joined the Muslim League. The Muslim League had provoked anger for opposing the demand for the recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages, and by ordering the massacre of 1952, key reasons for the collapse in its support.

This cabinet lasted for only 14 days. The Muslim League did all it could to undermine the United Front. In the third week of May, there were bloody riots between Bengali and non-Bengali workers in mills and factories of East Bengal.

The United Front was blamed for failing to control the situation. The federal administration sacked the United Front government, paving the way for direct federal government rule of East Bengal from the federal capital, further fuelling nationalist sentiments. By 1969 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman raised the issue of full regional autonomy for East Pakistan.

The election of 1970 saw the Awami League led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman 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 and the world saw brutality the likes of which has rarely been seen. We lost 3 million lives and 2 million women were violated. But the resilient people of the soon-to-be Bangladesh did not give up and they won. They won their freedom. They won their rights, and they won their mother tongue.


The writer is an author and a columnist