THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: BENGALI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT: POLICE SHOOT STUDENT PROTESTERS (1952)

Bengali Language Movement: Police Shoot Student Protesters (1952)

The day that police opened fire on a group of students protesting the exclusion of Bengali as an official language of Pakistan marked a turning point in the Bengali Language Movement. At the time, Pakistan was made up of two provinces, East and West Pakistan. Though East Pakistan was the more populous province, the government favored West Pakistani interests, as evidenced by its attempt to make Urdu the only official language of the dominion. When was Bengali added as an official language? More… Discuss

 

TODAY’S HOLIDAY: SHAHEED DAY

Shaheed Day

Before becoming an autonomous country in 1971, Bangladesh had been East Pakistan ever since India gained independence from Britain in 1947. West Pakistan wanted to make its language, Urdu, the only official language of both Pakistans. Most of the people in East Pakistan spoke Bengali, and they opposed the restriction of the use of their language in government and commerce. In 1952, university students held protests that erupted in violence. Lives were lost, and, as a memorial, people form a procession from the Azimpur graveyard on February 21 each year. More…Discuss

Related articles

• The “genocide” in East Pakistan of 1971: Separating facts from fiction
• Bangladesh Victory Day: How A Geographical Split Led To A Historical Change
• Where Are We Heading?
• The Politics of Privilege in Pakistan: Punjab’s Domination
• Trial that exposed Bangladesh scars