Bengali language movement

The Bengali language movement was a political movement in East Bengal (modern-day Bangladesh) in 1952, advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as a co-lingua franca of the then-Dominion of Pakistan 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 alphabet. Quotes When the fear of Hindu domination was removed after 1947, the Bengali educated proto-elite opposed Urdu more openly and forcefully. As the rulers of East Bengal were the ashraf and the Muslim League leadership in West Pakistan also considered Urdu a symbol of national integration, the Bengali language movement was suppressed, and on February 21, 1952, some activists were killed by the police in Dhaka. This date became a symbol of resistance against the Punjabi-dominated West Pakistani ruling elite. Bengali nationalism arose in response to perceived West Pakistani domination and internal colonialism and, in 1971, led to the birth of Bangladesh. Tariq Rahman, Language and Ethnicity in Pakistan, Asian Survey, Vol. 37, page 836 External links Category:Bengali language movement Category:Linguistic rights Category:Student protests in Bangladesh Category:Bengali language in Bangladesh Category:History of the Bengali language