A special Annex on the Occasion of

International Mother Language Day 2020

By

Bangladeshi Students Of
Parul University
A tribute to those martyrs who sacrificed their lives to achieve
the right of using Bengali Language as mother tongue and
express our solidarity to all fight for their rights.

Content Contributors

 Reduanullah Nawshad  Mohammad Rahmatullah likhon  Md. Shafikul Islam

 Sanjoy Shill  Omar faruk  Nayem Prem

Special thanks to the below people for their contribution

to publish Legacy of Bengali language.

 Md. Shafikul Islam  Akash Sorkar

 Mohammad Imam Uddin  Md. Al Amin

 Reduanullah Nowsad  Joy Raj Dhar

 Mohammad Rahmatullah  Omar faruk

likhon
 Shafin Ahmed Reshad
 Bahauddin Baha
 Tamjid Hasan
 Suchita Mallik Suchi
 Ekramul Haque
 Abdullah Al Mahadi
 Minhaz Uddin
 Shimmanta Kar Utsha
 Ruborna Nasrin Jibon
 Md Mahabub Alam Aquanda
 Nayem Prem
 Sanjoy Shill
A literary history of the Language Movement

There is no doubt that the ―language issue‖ did not prominently manifest in Bengal province
before, during, after the general elections of either 1936-37 or 1945-46. It is a fact that by the
time when the 1946 elections were held, almost all of the 33 million Bengali Muslims were on
the side of creating Pakistan as a separate Muslim nation-state. Yet the core Bengali Muslim
leaders had always expressed their loyalty to the Bengali language during the Pakistan
movement whenever the question of substituting Urdu for Bengali language became an issue.

It is being increasingly recognized that there was a literary context of the Bengali language
movement because a large number of leading Bengali Muslim scholars, writers, poets, singers,
professionals, journalists, intellectuals, civil service employees, students, teachers, and leaders
had wholeheartedly supported the movement for Pakistan. Their writings, speeches, and, of
course, their presentations in the cultural and literary conferences and the annual meetings of
several literary associations lent their heartfelt support for the Pakistan movement. There is no
doubt that a substantial body of pro-Pakistani literature had quickly emerged in Bengal, and the
main thrust of such an effort was geared toward popularising the concept of Pakistan among the
Bengali-speaking people.

The plethora of pro-Pakistani Bengali literature that had promptly emerged in 1940s was heavily
laden with Arabic, Persian, and Urdu jargon in an effort to Islamise the Bengali language. This
brand of writers and self-declared exponents of Islamic identity had started importing Islamic
words and idioms to Bengali literature with religious zeal. The Muslim owned Bengali dailies,
weeklies, monthlies, and quarterlies such as Azad, Ittehad, Millat, Muhammadi, Mahe Nau,
Noor, etc., provided them readily available popular outlets to champion the cause of Pakistan
movement.

In his appraisal of the literary context of the Bengali language movement, Humayun Azad
characterised the ―pro-Pakistani literature‖ that had appeared in the then East Bengal before,
during, and immediately after the emergence of Pakistan as ―Bishbrikha (poison tree) of
reactionary literature.‖ According to him, the two-nation theory of 1930s and the Lahore or
Pakistan Resolution of 1940 had clearly motivated the Bengali Muslims to ―communalism‖
which had adversely affected the literary field of the then East Bengal. The communally inspired

Legacy of Bengali language-01

Bengali Muslim writers started producing pro-Pakistani literature since 1940 with great deal of
enthusiasm that had represented more of communalism than the true expression of life
experiences of common people. Humayun Azad also forcefully argued that ―most of those
writers who took the leading role in creating and disseminating pro-Pakistani fervour were not at
all creative writers. Some of them were journalists, and many of them belonged to the category
of journalists, and some were politicians or politically motivated writers, and of course, some of
them were motivated essayists...‖ (Humayun Azad, Bhasha Andolon: Shahittik Potobhumi,
Dhaka: University Press Limited, 1990, p.1).

The establishment of the ―Purba Pakistan Renaissance Society‖ in Calcutta in 1942 and the
―Purba Pakistan Shahitya Sangstha‖ in 1943 in Dhaka provided a new momentum to the Pakistan
movement at a critical juncture of Bengal's history. The professed objective of the ―Purba
Pakistan Renaissance Society‖ was to cultivate unadulterated Bengali culture and literature
through control over all aspects of Muslim Bengalis. The main goal of the ―Purba Pakistan
Shahitya Sangstha‖ was to ―Pakistanise‖ the Bengali language and literature through large-scale
replacements or substitutions of traditional Bengali words and idioms with Arabic, Persian, and
Urdu vocabularies and idioms. Characterising both of these Pro-Pakistani literary associations as
―communal and reactionary,‖ Humayun Azad underscored in unambiguous language that ―the
propagation of the cause of Pakistan movement was the chief ―mantra‖ of these two communally
inspired organisations.‖

However, the most relevant question in our present context is to find out whether or not these
pro-Pakistani literary bodies had supported Urdu to be a substitution for Bengali language in the
new nation of Pakistan. The answer is in the negative, and any objective appraisal of these pre-
independence Bengali literary bodies must attest to the fact that their support for Bengali never
wavered even during the pinnacle of the Pakistan movement. The most poignant point is that the
champions of the pro-Pakistani literature and literary bodies had wholeheartedly endorsed and
supported the demand for making Bengali as one of the state languages of Pakistan.

Relying on several well-documented studies, Tariq Rahman, a distinguished Pakistani linguistic

scholar on language problems of Pakistan, succinctly pointed out the context and the ground of
the making of the demand for adopting Bengali as one of the state languages of Pakistan: ―By the
late 1920s, other organised bodies for the promotion of Bengali also came to be formed. One
such organisation was the Dacca Rationalists. It supported Bengali rather than Urdu as the
language of Muslim education in the 1930s.... The threat to Urdu was noticeable enough to make
its supporters form an All-Bengal Urdu Association in 1933. They condemned Bengali as a

Legacy of Bengali language-02

Hinduised language (a view persisted in West Pakistan till 1971), and said that Urdu alone
should be taught to Muslims.... In 1937, at the Lucknow session of the All India Muslim League,
a resolution recommending Urdu as the lingua franca of Muslims all over India, was opposed by
the delegates from the Bengal (province).... In 1944, the East Pakistan Renaissance Society of
Calcutta formed by radical intellectuals, demanded that Bengali should be the official language
of East Bengal‖ (Tariq Rahman, Language and Politics in Pakistan, Oxford University Press,
1996, pp. 83-84. For details, see Chapter 6 titled ―Bengali Language Movement‖ pp. 78-102).

Pursuant to Lord Mountbatten's declaration on June 3, 1947, the creation of Pakistan through the
partition of India was imminent. The Uttar Pradesh based Urdu-speaking stalwarts of the All-
India Muslim League (AIML) had already begun mobilising their support and resources in
favour of establishing Urdu language as the lingua franca of Pakistan. There is no doubt that the
―ethnic identity‖ of Bengali-speaking Muslims was not prominent during the Pakistan
movement. In other words, religious fervour had played a pivotal role among the Bengali
Muslims at the height of Pakistan movement. Yet the Bengali-speaking Muslim middle-class,
teachers, students, intellectuals, leftist activists, and other progressive forces vehemently opposed
the absurd idea of making Urdu the lingua franca of Pakistan. The saliency of linguistic identity
of Bengali Muslims clearly surfaced in the formative years of Pakistan even before the euphoria
of the emergence of a Muslim nation started evaporating from the eastern province of Pakistan.

Various political forces of the then East Bengal also started mobilising support for adopting
"Bengali" as one of the state languages of the new nation even before the emergence of Pakistan.
Once Pakistan became a reality on August 14, 1947, the unresolved language controversy
continued to surface during the early months of independent Pakistan. It needs to be underscored
that the Central Government of Pakistan had already started the unilateral use of "Urdu" in
money order forms, postal stamps, currencies and coins, railway tickets, and official letterheads
and forms even without formally declaring or adopting "Urdu" as the "only" state language of
Pakistan.

The Bengali-speaking stalwarts of Pakistan movement started emerging as the ardent defenders
of Bengali language in independent Pakistan. Even the common people of East Bengal started
suspecting the hidden motives and ploys of the Pakistani ruling elite. Much to the chagrin of the
founding father of Pakistan and the Karachi-anchored Urdu-loving Punjabi and Muhajir
dominated Central Government of Pakistan, the progressive forces of the then East Pakistan
demanded that Bengali should be nurtured and protected as the lingua franca of Bengali
Muslims.

Legacy of Bengali language-03

They also forcefully demanded that Bengali should be immediately recognised as one of the state
languages of the new nation of Pakistan. Indeed, those Bengali-speaking progressive forces
including the Bengali doyens of Pakistan movement were in the vanguard of the formative stage
as well as the 1952 phase of the Bengali language movement.

Legacy of Bengali language-04

 Poem
Poem

February 21 is a Fearless Journey on the The International Mother Language day

Road to Consciousness
By Sikandar Abu Jafar
The day when the treacherous sound of bullets
(translated by K Ashraf Hossain) Disappears like magic.
When the earth and atmosphere
Doesn’t seem so tragic.
All the people get united in a second,
They anointed their sinews, ribs and muscles The day when women and children
With a new-born pledge. Live out of cold fear.
The history of the land pulsates on the horizon of Of losing fathers, brothers, husbands, sons
time. That they hold so dear.
February 21 is a fearless journey
On the road of consciousness, When you have your flag
And I have mine.
February 21 is a united being No more blood is spilled
Of million men. And everyone’s fine.
February 21 is written with the sleepless terror
Of the conscience stricken egos, On one side, a deep, emerald green
Who starts at the sound of falling leaves. Emblazoned with a shimmering moon and star.
February 21 is the tearing explosion As the wind forces the flag to display
Of rage, of hatred, The Pakistanis as who they are.
With her black flags, posters and blood-red
On the other side, a proud, bold red circle
scribbling of tears. Cushioned in a bed of solid, loyal green.
She is much changed now, alas! A new flag shows off its freedom
The unseen magic hands of treachery Dancing carefree in the breeze.
Stifles her; the black vampire of prudence
Spreads its wings; In surrounding houses, families run joyfully out
a shrouded giant stalks the stage of sorrow of their homes
every year! Basking in their freedom to live.
Free to work, free to play
(his name is foresight)
Free to speak the language they love.
A great popular upstage
A strong faith in life So the nation was divided
Is now Split wholly into two.
February 21 is a mere silent memory Speech was shared between two different
Of the past, languages
A misspent tear of people's pride, Known as Bangla and Urdu.
A pale history of an atrophied urge.
East Pakistan was recreated
After all the struggle and stress.
To a country where pride is fortune
For the people of Bangladesh.

Legacy of Bengali language-05

 Poem

No Need to Be Surprised Every time

Mohammad Rahmatullah

No need to be surprised every time

When you sail your boat of life on the highway
Sallow tons of pages all the way.
You love to be nude
But why fear to do that on the road?
How long you will make your sky scratchy?
Why do you pretend to be happy?
When inside you want to be politely bloody.
No need to be surprised every time.

How long you act to be gentle

When you are craving to become messy
What you feel?
Behind your all norms and happy light
You know darkness is your sweetest flight.
Why joyful words in the mornings' greeting?
When your deep night feeling is still tempting.
If you, my dear, hear these all
There is nothing,
Nothing to be surprised at all.

Legacy of Bengali language-06

International Mother Language Day

Mohammad Shafikul Islam

Ph.D. Research Scholar
Department of Applied Sciences & Humanities
Faculty of Engineering & Technology

International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to
promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. First announced
by UNESCO on 17 November 1999, it was formally recognized by the United Nations General
Assembly with the adoption of UN resolution 56/262 Multilingualism in 2002. Mother Language Day is
part of a broader initiative "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of
the world" as adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 16, 2007 in UN resolution 61/266, which
also established 2008 as the International Year of Languages The idea to celebrate International Mother
Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh 21 February is the anniversary of the day
when Bangladeshis fought for recognition for the Bangla language.
21 February was declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO in 1999. It has been
observed throughout the world since 21 February 2000. The declaration came up in tribute to the
Language Movement done by the Bangladeshis (then the East Pakistanis).
When Pakistan was created in 1947, it had two geographically separate parts: East Pakistan (currently
known as Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (currently known as Pakistan). The two parts were very
different to each other in sense of culture, language, etc. The two parts were also separated by India in
between.
In 1948, the then Government of Pakistan declared Urdu to be the sole national language of Pakistan even
though Bengali or Bangla was spoken by the majority of people combining East Pakistan
(now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (now Pakistan) The East Pakistan people protested, since the
majority of the population was from East Pakistan and their mother language was Bangla. They
demanded Bangla to be at least one of the national languages, in addition to Urdu. The demand was raised
first by Dhirendranath Datta from East Pakistan on the 23 February, 1948, in the constituent Assembly of
Pakistan.
To demolish the protest, the government of Pakistan outlawed public meeting and rallies. The students of
the University of Dhaka, with the support of the general public, arranged massive rallies and meetings.
On 21 February 1952, police opened fire on rallies. Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar and Shafiur died, with
hundreds of others injured. This is a rare incident in history, where people sacrificed their lives for their
mother tongue.
Since then Bangladeshis celebrate the International Mother Language Day as one of their tragic days.
International Mother Language Day is a national holiday in Bangladesh. The resolution was suggested
by Rafiqul Islam, a Bengali living in Vancouver, Canada. He wrote a letter to Kofi Annan on 9 January
1998 asking him to take a step for saving the world's languages from extinction by declaring an
International Mother Language Day. Rafiq proposed the date as 21 February to commemorate the 1952
killings in Dhaka during the Language Movement."21st February – The International Mother Language
Day".
An International Mother Language Day monument was constructed at Ashfield Park in Sydney, Australia. Here we
can see the images of Shaheed Minar and the globe on the face of the stone with the words "we will remember the
martyr of 21st February" written on it in both Bengali and English languages.

Legacy of Bengali language-07

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible
heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage
linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and
cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and
dialogue.

This is a time for Bangladeshis to celebrate their culture, traditions and their Bengali national language.
The prizes are given to those who made outstanding performance in language and cultural diversity.
They visit the Shaheed Minar, a monument built in memory of the martyrs and its replicas to express their
deep sorrow, respect and gratefulness to them.

- ,
-

Legacy of Bengali language-08

The Behind Story of Bangladesh

Omor faruk
Mass communication (1st Year)
Parul Institute of Arts

This is the 1st article of a series describing significant events in the history of Bangladesh — briefly
highlighting the buildup to, and the effects of, these fateful days. The 21st of February is known
internationally as International Mother Language Day, chosen because of the tragic — yet catalyzing—
events that transpired on that day in 1952, in Bangladesh. The following is a very brief exploration of the
Bengali Language Movement, the fight for linguistic and cultural rights, and the meaning behind Ekushey
(21st) February. Bangladesh has gone through drastic changes in its short history. From 1858 to 1947, it
was a part of the British Raj under brutal and exploitative British colonial rule. Decades of anti-colonial
build-up led to the creation of the Mountbatten Plan, where the British decided to split colonial India into
2 independent states — the division being determined by religion. Image courtesy of Burgess/The New
York Times The Partition of 1947 resulted in the creation of the Union of India and the Dominion of
Pakistan — a splitting of Hindus and Muslims. The Dominion incorporated newly established West
(present-day Pakistan) and East (present-day Bangladesh) Pakistan. East and West were lumped together
as a single country, ignoring the 1600km and the differences in culture, ethnicity, customs — and
language — between them. The powers that be decided that the Dominion’s political and military
establishments were to be set up in West Pakistan. Consequently, most decision makers and personnel in
positions of authority came from West Pakistan. At the time of partition, the population of West Pakistan
was 25 million, while East Bengal (aka East Pakistan) was 44 million. West Pakistanis predominantly
spoke Urdu, while East Bengal spoke mainly Bangla — entirely different languages with completely
different scripts. At an education summit in 1947 in Karachi, the West-Pakistani dominated government
established that Urdu would be the only language used in media and taught in schools. Furthermore,
Bangla was removed from being an approved school subject, and was taken off official currency and
stamps. Language Movement demonstrations Bengali student leaders, community organizations and
politicians protested these language policies consistently for the next 5 years. This gave rise to what has
since become known as the Bengali Language Movement — grassroots organizing to fight systemic
cultural and linguistic discrimination and oppression. The Governor-General of Pakistan, widely
recognized as the Father of West Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited Dhaka during the height of
political unrest and sought to squash the Movement. He stated that the promoters of Bangla were seeking
to divide Pakistani Muslims, calling them ―enemies of Pakistan‖. He reiterated that ―Urdu, only Urdu‖
would be the official state language and even repealed previous concessions that had been made by other
politicians to appease Movement supporters. West Pakistan’s refusal to recognize Bangla — the language
spoken by the majority of the citizens of all of Pakistan — was quickly recognized as part of a broader
agenda of cultural and ethnic assimilation. As such, the Language Movement became a proxy for a
broader fight for the right to self-determination. The Language Movement came to a head in 1952 when
the Pakistani leadership again reiterated that only Urdu would be the official language of Pakistan. This
declaration caused uproar in East Bengal and led to the declaration of widespread protests to be held on

Legacy of Bengali language-09

February 21st by various student groups. In response to this protest call, the Pakistani government
prohibited the gathering of more than 3 people. Demonstrations in Dhaka on February 21st, 1952
Notwithstanding, students defiantly began gathering on the morning of February 21st at the University of
Dhaka and faced-off with armed police who awaited them. Police fired tear gas to ward off students as
they attempted to break through police lines and arrested several students. These arrests sparked further
protests, with demonstrators gathering at the East Bengal Legislative Assembly seeking to have their
voices heard by politicians. During an attempt to storm into the legislature, several student protesters were
shot and killed by police. Inevitably, the deaths of these students sparked furor and led to further
demonstrations and widespread disorder across the capital over the next few days; adults and working
professionals from all walks of life joined the students in protest of Pakistani oppression. A number of
additional activists were shot dead — including a 9 year old boy — by police in those following days.
Demonstrations continued for weeks, with beatings and political arrests common. Forever remembered as
the language martyrs of February 21st are Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat, Abdul Jabbar,
Shafiur Rahman, Ahi Ullah.

Legacy of Bengali language-010

 Disseminate that you are poisonous

Rebellious Hercules
( )
(Md.Reduanullah Nawshad)

,
,
O moonlight,
,
Your charming sweetness,
, Your glamourous beauty,
, Your covetous loveliness,
ঐ , , । Break it
Your sweetness, beauty, loveliness.
,
ঐ , O dreamy girl,
Your impressive little dimple,
ঐ ,
Your soft folding juicy lips,
ঐ , Your likable beauty bones,
, Open it
ঐ , , । Your dimple, lips, bones.

, O venery queen,
ঐ , Your flabby noisette pieces,
ঐ , Your tottery youthful signs,
Your tiny cleft in flashy folds,
ঐ ,
Open it once more
, Your pieces, signs, folds.
ঐ , , । O viper queen,
Show the rapists, your venomous sting,
, Notify the rapists, you decollate like carnifex.
,
, Show that-
Your sweetness, beauty, loveliness-
Dimples, lips, bones, pieces, signs-
,
Folds are the cultivable for toxicants.
, , ,
, , , , , By this venoms-
। Deprive the breath of rapists
And make septic their raping organs
, And their ardor hopes.
-
।

Legacy of Bengali language-011

 ?

?
।
?
,
?
।

।
।

? ,

। ।

, ।

Legacy of Bengali language-012

Bangladesh: A Fighting Nation
Mohammad Rahmatullah
M.A in ELT
Parul Institute of Arts
Parul University

In august 1947, the partition of British India gave birth to two new states. One is secular state named
India and an Islamic State of Pakistan. But Pakistan comprised two geographically and culturally
separate area to the east and the west of India. This western Zone was popularly termed West Pakistan
and the eastern zone termed East Bengal and later East Pakistan. Although the population of the two
zones was close to equal, political power was concentrated in West Pakistan and it was widely perceived
that East Pakistan was being exploited economically, leading to many grievances.

Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation state in 1971. Although a new state, Bangladesh is an old
country with a long recorded history of several thousand years. In its recent past it was part of Pakistan
(1947-1971) and was known as East Pakistan.

The history of Bangladesh is the history of struggle for independence. The people of Bangladesh know
how to fight against the oppressor and haw to achieve their rights. There are several chapters which
eventually birth the independent Bangladesh. The chapters are as follows

Language Movement 1952

The Bengali Language Movement (Bengali: ভাষা আন্দালন Bhasha Andolôn) was a political
movement in former East Bengal (renamed East Pakistan in 1956 and Bangladesh in 1971) advocating the
recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of the then-Dominion of Pakistan in order to
allow its use in government affairs, the continuation of its use as a medium of education, its use in media,
currency and stamps, and to maintain its writing in the Bengali script.

When the Dominion of Pakistan was formed by the partition of India in 1947, it was composed of various
ethnic and linguistic groups, with the geographically non-contiguous East Bengal province having a
mainly Bengali population. In 1948, the Government of the Dominion of Pakistan ordained Urdu as the
sole national language, sparking extensive protests among the Bengali-speaking majority of East Bengal.
Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent with the new law, the government outlawed public
meetings and rallies. The students of the University of Dhaka and other political activists defied the law
and organized a protest on 21 February 1952. The movement reached its climax when police killed
student demonstrators on that day. The deaths provoked widespread civil unrest. After years of conflict,
the central government relented and granted official status to the Bengali language in 1956.
The Language Movement catalyzed the assertion of Bengali national identity in East Bengal and later
East Pakistan, and became a forerunner to Bengali nationalist movements, including the 6-Point
Movement and subsequently the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Bengali Language Implementation
Act, 1987. In Bangladesh, 21 February (Ekushey February) is observed as Language Movement Day, a
national holiday. The Shaheed Minar monument was constructed near Dhaka Medical College in memory
of the movement and its victims. In 1999, UNESCO declared 21 February as International Mother
Language Day in tribute to the Language Movement and the ethno-linguistic rights of people around the
world.

Legacy of Bengali language-013

The Election of United Front in 1954

The United Front was a coalition of political parties in East Bengal which contested and won Pakistan's
first provincial general election to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly. The coalition consisted of
the Awami Muslim League, the Krishak Praja Party, the Ganatantri Dal (Democratic Party) and Nizam-e-
Islam. The coalition was led by three major Bengali populist leaders- A K Fazlul Huq, Huseys Shaheed
Suhrawardy and Maulana Bhasani. The election resulted in a crushing defeat for the Muslim League.
Veteran student leader of East Pakistan Khaleque Nawaz Khan had defeated sitting Prime Minister of
East Pakistan Mr. Nurul Amin in Nandail Constituency of Mymensingh district and created history in
political arena. Nurul Amin's crushing defeat to a 27 years old young Turk of Jukto Front effectively
eliminated the Muslim League from political landscape of the then East Pakistan. United Front parties
secured a landslide victory and gained 223 seats in the 309-member assembly. The Awami League
emerged as the majority party, with 143 seats.

The Six Point Movement

The six point movement was a movement in East Pakistan, spearheaded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
which called for greater autonomy for East Pakistan. The movement's main agenda was to realize the six
demands put forward by a coalition of Bengali nationalist political parties in 1966, to end the perceived
exploitation of East Pakistan by the West Pakistani rulers.[2] It is considered a milestone on the road
to Bangladesh's independence.

1969 Mass Uprising in East Pakistan

The 1969 uprising in East Pakistan ( ) was a democratic political movement
in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The uprising consisted of a series of mass demonstrations and
sporadic conflicts between government armed forces and the demonstrators. Although the unrest began in
1966 with the Six point movement of Awami League, it got momentum at the beginning of 1969 and
culminated in the resignation of Field Marshal Ayub Khan, the first military ruler of Pakistan. The
uprising also led to the withdrawal of Agartala Conspiracy Case and acquittal of Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and his colleagues from the case.

Liberation War 1971

The Bangladesh Liberation War (Bengali: মুক্তিযুদ্ধ Muktijuddho), also known as the Bangladesh War of
Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh, was a revolution and armed conflict sparked
by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in what was then East
Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. It resulted in the independence of the People's Republic
of Bangladesh. The war began after the Pakistani military junta based in West
Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March
1971. It pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians, students, intelligentsia,
religious minorities and armed personnel. The junta annulled the results of the 1970 elections and
arrested Prime minister-designate Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The war ended on 16 December 1971 after
West Pakistan surrendered.
Rural and urban areas across East Pakistan saw extensive military operations and air strikes to suppress
the tide of civil disobedience that formed following the 1970 election stalemate. The Pakistan Army,
which had the backing of Islamists, created radical religious militias – the Razakars,Al Badr and Al

Legacy of Bengali language-014

Shams – to assist it during raids on the local populace. Urdu-speaking Biharis in Bangladesh (ethnic
minority) were also in support of Pakistani military. Members of the Pakistani military and supporting
militias engaged in mass murder, deportation and genocidal rape. The capital Dhaka was the scene of
numerous massacres, including Operation Searchlight and the Dhaka University massacre. An estimated
10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighboring India, while 30 million were internally displaced.
Sectarian violence broke out between Bengalis and Urdu-speaking immigrants. An academic consensus
prevails that the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military were genocide.
The Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from Chittagong by members of the Mukti
Bahini – the national liberation army formed by Bengali military, paramilitary and civilians. The East
Bengal Regiment and the East Pakistan Rifles played a crucial role in the resistance. Led by
General M.A.G. Osmani and eleven sector commanders, the Bangladesh Forces waged a mass guerrilla
war against the Pakistani military. They liberated numerous towns and cities in the initial months of the
conflict. The Pakistan Army regained momentum in the monsoon. Bengali guerrillas carried out
widespread sabotage, including Operation Jackpot against the Pakistan Navy. The nascent Bangladesh Air
Force flew sorties against Pakistani military bases. By November, the Bangladesh forces restricted the
Pakistani military to its barracks during the night. They secured control of most parts of the countryside.
The Provisional Government of Bangladesh was formed on 17 April 1971 in Mujibnagar and moved
to Calcutta as a government in exile. Bengali members of the Pakistani civil, military and diplomatic
corps defected to the Bangladeshi provisional government. Thousands of Bengali families
were interned in West Pakistan, from where many escaped to Afghanistan. Bengali cultural activists
operated the clandestine Free Bengal Radio Station. The plight of millions of war-ravaged Bengali
civilians caused worldwide outrage and alarm. India, which was led by Indira Gandhi, provided
substantial diplomatic, economic and military support to Bangladeshi nationalists. British, Indian and
American musicians organised the world's first benefit concert in New York City to support the
Bangladeshi people. Senator Ted Kennedy in the United States led a congressional campaign for an end
to Pakistani military persecution; while U.S. diplomats in East Pakistan strongly dissented with the Nixon
administration's close ties to the Pakistani military dictator Yahya Khan.
India joined the war on 3 December 1971, after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikes on North India.
The subsequent Indo-Pakistani War witnessed engagements on two war fronts. With air
supremacy achieved in the eastern theatre and the rapid advance of the Allied Forces of Bangladesh and
India, Pakistan surrendered in Dacca on 16 December 1971.
The war changed the geopolitical landscape of South Asia, with the emergence of Bangladesh as the
seventh-most populous country in the world. Due to complex regional alliances, the war was a major
episode in Cold War tensions involving the United States, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of
China. The majority of member states in the United Nations recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign nation
in 1972.

All these movements and war show belief of independence of the people of Bangladesh. We are a fighting
nation. For our rights we can sacrifice our lives without any hesitation. We are proud to a Bangladeshi.

Legacy of Bengali language-015

Martyrs for Language Movement in Bangladesh
Uncountable number of people died on 21st February, 1952. But that time many martyrs dead bodies were missed because of then
ruling Govt. Here some the martyrs we recognized that time.

Abul Barkat
25 years old
M.A. in Political Science
Dhaka University

Abdul Jabbar
33 years old
Villager, Day Laborer

Rafiq Uddin Ahmed

26 years old
Student
2nd Year, Commerce
Debendranath College, Manikgonj

Abdus Salam
27 years old
Govt. Service Holder

Shafiur Rahman
34 years old

Student of Law
&
Employee of Dhaka High-Court

Abdul Awal No Image is found

26 years old
Rickshaw puller

Md. Ohiullah: No image is Found

11 years Boy

Legacy of Bengali language-016

On the Occasion of International Mother Language Day – 2020

Legacy of Bengali Language

Prepared

By

Students from Bangladesh in Parul University