21st February: Seed of Bangladesh

If a nation's identity is to be permanently destroyed, its culture must be attacked. Perhaps to fulfil that aim, immediately after the partition of British India in 1947, the Pakistani rulers struck at language—the foundation of East Bengal's culture. From this struggle emerged an immortal day, 21st February, a history that, though painful, has added a proud chapter to the heritage of Bengal.

Today's independent Bangladesh was not created in a single day's effort. Rather, it had to traverse an extremely thorny path. Historically, our green, fertile, grain-rich homeland has never found peace, as it has always fallen under the gaze of external powers. On 23rd June 1757, the independent sun of Bengal set at the hands of the British. The cursed colonial rule continued for almost two centuries. To strengthen their dominance, the British implemented the policy of 'divide and rule', dividing the two major communities of the Indian subcontinent—Muslims and Hindus—into conflicting classes.

Ethnic riots and violent clashes between these two communities became a recurring phenomenon. In this volatile situation, the leaders of the Muslim League argued that Muslims and Hindus were entirely separate ethnic entities in terms of literature, culture, behaviour, and outlook. Based on this belief, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the All India Muslim League, announced his epoch-making two-nation theory, leading to the Lahore Resolution, also known as the Pakistan Resolution.

On 23rd March 1940, at the All India Muslim League session in Lahore, chaired by Jinnah, Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Haq delivered a fiery speech presenting the first Pakistan Resolution. It proposed that Muslim-majority areas in the north-western and eastern regions of India should form 'independent states', where the constituent units would be self-governing and sovereign.

The Lahore Resolution was later incorporated into the constitution of the All India Muslim League at its Madras session on 15th April 1941. However, in 1946, during the Cabinet Mission planning, the resolution was modified—the word 'States' was changed to 'State', fundamentally altering its original meaning. Consequently, a single sovereign state was proposed, encompassing the Muslim-majority regions in the northeast (Bengal and Assam) and the northwest (Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh, and Balochistan). This strategic change led to the formation of Pakistan, preventing Bangladesh from being born 23 years earlier.

On 14th and 15th August 1947, two independent states—Pakistan and India—were created based on religion. However, just as Bengal had been subordinate to British rule before independence, it once again found itself in chains under the ruling elite of West Pakistan. The first target of their aggression was the language of East Bengal. Even before the creation of Pakistan, debates had arisen over the state language. But in April 1947, as the creation of Pakistan became certain, the debate intensified. 

In May, Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman, and in July, Aligarh University Vice-Chancellor Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, proposed making Urdu the state language of Pakistan. This was met with intellectual resistance from scholars like Dr Muhammad Shahidullah and Muhammad Enamul Haque.

On 2nd September 1947, a cultural organisation called Tamaddun Majlis was founded by Professor Abul Kashem of Dhaka University. The organisation advocated for Bengali to be the medium of education, law, and administration. When the decision to make Urdu the state language was finalised at the Karachi education conference in December, protests erupted across East Bengal, leading to the formation of the Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad that same month.

On 25th February 1948, Constituent Assembly member Dhirendranath Datta demanded the recognition of Bengali alongside English and Urdu. His proposal was rejected. Then, on 19th March, Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared unequivocally at Dhaka's Racecourse Ground, 'Urdu and only Urdu shall be the state language of Pakistan.' He reiterated this at Dhaka University's convocation on 24th March, prompting strong student protests. The Pakistani government then attempted to impose Bengali in Arabic script, sparking further outrage.

On 26th January 1952, at a public meeting in Paltan Maidan, the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khwaja Nazimuddin, reinforced the stance that Urdu would be the state language. This triggered a nationwide strike on 30th January. On 31st January, the All-Party Central Language Action Committee was formed, leading to mass student protests in Dhaka on 4th February. A general strike was declared for 21st February.

To suppress the movement, the government imposed Section 144 on 21st February. Defying the ban, protesters marched from Dhaka Medical College. Initially, the police used tear gas, but later they opened fire. Salam, Rafiq, Barkat, and Jabbar were martyred. The next day, on 22nd February, during a condolence rally, Shafiur Rahman was also killed.

To immortalise their sacrifice, a Shaheed Minar was built in front of Dhaka Medical College on 23rd February, but the police demolished it on 24th February. Despite this, the spirit ignited by the movement endured. The Bengali people realised that they were a distinct nation with their own culture and identity, separate from Pakistan. This realisation set the foundation for their eventual liberation. In 1956, the Pakistani government was forced to recognise Bengali as one of the state languages.

The movement for language unity fostered an unparalleled sense of national solidarity among Bengalis. It became clear that a state divided by thousands of miles and two distinct linguistic identities could not sustain unity. The ultimate manifestation of this spirit came in the Liberation War of 1971, when Bangladesh won its independence through immense sacrifice. At its core, the fight for language played a crucial role in shaping national consciousness.

Bengalis are not the only people to have sacrificed their lives for language. In 1965, when the ruling Congress government of India attempted to impose Hindi as the state language, the people of Madras erupted in protest. The South Indian states, particularly Tamil Nadu, witnessed two months of unrest, with over a hundred casualties, including incidents of self-immolation. Eventually, the government was forced to abandon its decision.

In South Africa, school students led a language movement in 1976 when the regional authorities in Transvaal attempted to impose Afrikaans—a mixture of German and Dutch—as the medium of instruction. Students preferred learning in their native Zulu and in the practical lingua franca, English. The ensuing protest, known as the Soweto Uprising, saw the apartheid government open fire on demonstrators, killing over a hundred students. This tragic event is commemorated as the 'Day of the Child'.

Similarly, in the United States, many Native American languages became extinct due to European colonial rule. After prolonged struggles for language preservation, the U.S. government eventually enacted laws to protect indigenous languages. Similar movements have taken place in Canada, Latvia, and various Indian provinces.

However, the achievement of the Bengali nation stands apart from all others. While other movements were limited to language preservation, the Bengali Language Movement transcended linguistic demands, ultimately leading to national independence. A struggle that began with the demand for linguistic rights culminated in the birth of an independent nation.

A new dimension was added to Bengali pride on 17th November 1999, when UNESCO recognised 21st February, observed as Bangladesh's Martyrs' Day, as International Mother Language Day. Today, the entire world commemorates this day, honouring the Bengali people's sacrifices for language.

From the Language Movement of 1952 to the recent July Uprising, students and youth have consistently led Bangladesh's crucial struggles. Their role remains vital in shaping the nation's future. Only through their continued dedication will Bangladesh one day stand at the pinnacle of success.

Md Zahid Hossain is Lecturer at the Department of Political Science of Barishal Cadet College, Bangladesh. Mail: zahidbd462@gmail.com

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