Table of Contents

The Unyielding Rise of Bengali Nationalism

At the midnight of 14 August 1947, the colonial rule of the British Raj ended in India, giving birth to two independent nations called India and Pakistan. Pakistan was divided into two parts. The eastern part of Bengal was included in Pakistan as a province and was named East Pakistan. The other part was called West Pakistan.

Since the beginning, the administrative power of Pakistan had been vested in the rich section of West Pakistan, which employed their power to control the language, literature, culture, economy, politics, and social system of East Pakistan, creating discrimination. The people of East Pakistan organized protests against the injustice and discrimination, starting agitation and mass movements.

The language movement took place to defend the mother tongue, Bangla. The Bengalees of the then East Pakistan were united on the issue. The spirit of the “Language Movement” encouraged the people of East Bengal to gradually launch agitation, demonstration, and mass movement against the communal rule of Pakistan.

Based on the historic six-point demands, the people of East Bengal voted in favor of Bengali nationalism in 1970 and gave their verdict for a secular nation named Bangladesh. A national unity was urged based on identity from language, history, tradition, culture, and Bengali nationalism.

This national unification is called Bengali Nationalism, which encouraged people to form a secular, non-communal Bangladesh. As a consequence, Bangladesh emerged as an independent country in 1971.

In this chapter, we will learn about the political movements in East Bengal and the rise of nationalism.

After reading this chapter, we will be able to:

Explain the background and significance of the language movement.
Realize the spirit of Bengali Nationalism.
Explain the reasons and consequences of the anti-martial law movement in 1958.
Analyze the significance of the language movement in the formation of nationalism.
Explain the significance of declaring 21 February as International Mother Language Day by the United Nations.
Be respectful of our own and others’ languages.
Explain the reasons for forming the Awami Muslim League and the Jukto (United) Front.
Explain the impact of the election in 1954 of the Jukto (United) Front.
Understand the reason for the transformation from the Awami Muslim League to the Awami League in 1955, and explain the political situation from 1958 onwards.
Explain the historic Agartala Case (State vs. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Others).
Describe the background of the Mass Uprising in 1969.
Evaluate the role of the mass movement as an influence on the Liberation War.
Describe the election of 1970 and explain its aftermath.
Be conscious of defending the interest of the country.

The Role of the Language Movement in Flourishing Bengali Nationalism

Background of the Language Movement

Even before the creation of Pakistan, the debate arose on the issue of its official language. When Mohammad Ali Jinnah proposed Urdu as the official language of the Muslim League in 1937, Sher-e-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Haque, a veteran leader of Bengal, protested against it. When the establishment of Pakistan became absolutely certain in 1947, the debate arose again.

On 17 May 1947, Chowdhury Khaliquzzaman and later in July, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aligarh, proposed Urdu as the state language of Pakistan. However, Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah, an eminent linguist of East Bengal, Professor Dr. Muhammad Enamul Haque of the University of Dhaka, and other intellectuals protested against this proposal through their articles.

A cultural organization called Tamaddun Majlis was formed at the University of Dhaka, headed by Professor Abul Qasem in September 1947. In a meeting of young workers of this organization on 6-7 September, it was unanimously decided to propose Bangla as a medium of education and court proceedings.

A fierce protest broke out in East Bengal when a decision was taken at an education conference in Karachi in December 1947 that Urdu should be the state language of Pakistan. People from all walks of life raised their voices to declare Bangla as the state language of Pakistan instead.

Articles were published focusing on the demand, and in December, Rastrabhasha Sangram Parishad was formed. Processions were organized, and meetings were held at different institutions, including Dhaka University and the secretariat. The Pakistan Government imposed Section 144 and banned meetings and rallies.

On 23 February 1948, Dhirendranath Dutta, a member of the Pakistan Assembly (The Gano Parishad), demanded that Bangla, alongside Urdu and English, be used as the medium of proceedings in the Assembly. When his demand was rejected, a strike was called in Dhaka on 26 and 29 February. Rastrabhasha Sangram Parishad was reformed on 2 March at the University of Dhaka, and March 11 was declared “A Call for Bangla Language Day”.

The East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League, founded on 4 January 1948, played a significant role in organizing the protests. At least 69 protesters, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Shamsul Huq, and Oli Ahad, were arrested during the demonstrations.

Sheikh Mujib demanded Bangla as a state language while being imprisoned. Following mass protests, Khawja Nazimuddin, the Chief Minister of Pakistan, signed an eight-point agreement with the Rastrabhasha Sangram Parishad, which included:

All detainees in connection with the language movement would be unconditionally released.
The Prime Minister himself would make a statement after a thorough investigation of police atrocities.
A proposal to declare Bangla as one of the state languages would be tabled in the Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Bangla would replace English as the official language of East Pakistan, and the medium of instruction would also be Bangla.
All restrictions on the newspapers would be withdrawn.
No legal action would be taken against the participants of the language movement.
Section 144, imposed since 29 February, would be withdrawn.
The Chief Minister would unequivocally state that the language movement was not provoked by the enemies of the State.

When Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Governor-General of Pakistan, visited Dhaka on 19 March 1948, he declared that “Urdu and only Urdu shall be the state language of Pakistan” in a public meeting at the Racecourse Ground (now Suhrawardy Udyan) on 21 March.

His declaration was met with protest, and students strongly opposed his speech during the Dhaka University Convocation on 24 March. At one point, the Pakistan Government proposed to write Bangla using the Arabic alphabet, but this idea was also strongly rejected.

Within a few months of Pakistan’s creation, the language movement became a platform for expressing Bengali Nationalism. By defending their mother tongue, the people of East Bengal recognized the importance of their development as a nation. Minority ethnic groups of East Bengal also supported Bangla over Urdu as the state language.

Despite growing unrest, Khawja Nazimuddin, the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, declared Urdu as the state language on 26 January 1952. In response, students declared a general strike on 21 February 1952, known as “State Language Day”. Although Sheikh Mujib, while in prison, gave instructions to the Awami Muslim League to observe the 21st February program, the government imposed Section 144 and banned all gatherings.

On 21 February, when processions defied Section 144, the police opened fire, leading to the deaths of Abul Barkat, Abdul Jabbar, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abdus Salam, and others, now remembered as Language Martyrs.

The killings ignited further protests, and on 22 February, Shafiur Rahman was killed by police. A Shahid Minar (Martyrs’ Monument) was erected by the public on 23 February, but it was later demolished by the police. The incident inspired art, literature, and music, including Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury’s immortal song, “Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano Ekushe February.”

The Language Movement was the first national struggle for freedom and laid the foundation for Bengali Nationalism, culminating in the recognition of Bangla as one of Pakistan’s state languages in 1956. It paved the way for the future struggles for independence and became an inspiration for all political movements thereafter.

Development of Bengali Nationalism

The language movement, which was the primary step in developing Bengali nationalism, united the Bengalis first. The fascination for Pakistan faded away soon. The importance and interrelation between the language and culture became clear and unmistakable to them in building up their own national identity.

They started realizing the significance of politics, economy, education, and culture of their own to be recognized as a nation. The language-oriented unity made a solid foundation for nationalism, which subsequently played the key role in the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent country.

The Martyrs’ Day and the International Mother Language Day in Bengali Nationalism

The 21st of February has been observed as Martyrs’ Day since 1953 throughout the country. Every year, we pay tribute to the martyrs by laying floral wreaths at the Shahid Minar (Martyrs’ Memorial) early in the morning after walking barefoot. It’s a day for Bengalis to revive the spirit of grief.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized 21st February, the Martyrs’ Day of Bangladesh, as the International Mother Language Day on 17 November 1999, as a result of initiatives taken by some Bengali emigrants in Canada and the diplomatic role played by the Awami League government.

There are more than 6,000 languages in the world. Since then, the people of these languages have realized the importance of Martyrs’ Day in Bangladesh and thus have learned the importance of their mother tongue. Besides Bangla, in our country, there are different ethnic communities who have different languages. We will try to protect and develop their language and culture.

The Role of the Political Movement in Developing Bengali Nationalism

The people of East Bengal understood the political peculiarities of the state called Pakistan and realized the illusions of the two-nation theory immediately after the establishment of Pakistan.

Although the Bengalis made up 56% of the total population, the West Pakistanis dominated everywhere in running the state, either by occupying high administrative posts or availing themselves of economic and political privileges. The people of East Pakistan, i.e. the Bengalis, were deprived of their rights. There were three streams in the political parties and leadership at that time:

Political parties loyal to Pakistan, like Jamaat-e-Islami, Nizam-e-Islam, and the Muslim League.
Political parties that defended the interest of East Bengal, like the Awami League and the National Awami Party (NAP).
The leftist political parties with socialist ideology.

The Political Movement in East Bengal and the Rise of Nationalism

The Formation of the Awami Muslim League
After a few months of the creation of Pakistan, the Awami Muslim League broke away from the two-nation theory of the Muslim League and emerged as a non-communal, progressive party imbibed with the ideals of Bengali nationalism. The East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was established on 23 June 1949 at a conference at Rose Garden.

Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Shamsul Haque of Tangail were nominated as the President and the General Secretary, respectively, of the newly formed party, while Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became the Joint Secretary. At the very beginning, the party made an extensive plan of activities in the interest of the Bengalis.

They decided to place some demands before the government, such as provincial autonomy, sovereignty of the people, recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages, nationalization of the jute and tea industries, abolition of the feudal system without compensation, distribution of land among farmers, cooperative farming, etc.

The party became very popular within a very short time for voicing these demands to the government. Particularly, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became a victim of the rage of the Pakistani rulers. Sheikh Mujib was arrested in 1949. But even while in jail, he provided leadership in movements, including the demand for state language.

Consequently, he was kept in jail until 27 February 1952. The Awami League was the key initiator to form the Jukto (United) Front in 1954. To reflect its non-communal political ideology, the party changed its name from the ‘East Pakistan Awami Muslim League’ to ‘East Pakistan Awami League’ in 1955. This allowed Bengalis and minority ethnic groups to merge into the stream of nationalism.

During this time, on one hand, the party initiated movements outside, while on the other hand, its members in the national assembly and provincial government remained vocal inside, performing an important role as a pro-people party.

The Formation of Jukto (United) Front, Election, and Government

After the establishment of Pakistan, the ruling party, the Muslim League, did not take any initiative to form the central and provincial governments for a long time. Besides, the central government’s procrastination in forming the provincial government became evident to the people of East Bengal.

The Awami League decided to establish the Jukto (United) Front on 14 November 1953 to defeat the Muslim League in the upcoming Pradeshik Porishad (Provincial Assembly) election of East Bengal.

The Jukto (United) Front was comprised of four parties: the Awami League, the Krishak Sramik Party, the Nizam-e-Islam, and the Ganotantri Dal. The provincial election was held in March of 1954. The people considered the 21-point demands of the Front as the charter of their emancipation.

The Jukto (United) Front won 223 out of 237 constituencies in the Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan, while the Muslim League won only 9 seats. The other parties won the remaining seats. The people of East Bengal gave their verdict in favor of the Jukto (United) Front as they wanted to free themselves from the authority and dominance of the West Pakistanis in state power.

It was clear that they wanted to see the Bengalis in power, and the Jukto (United) Front had the mandate from the people to form the provincial government. The election again proved that people are the ‘source of all power.’ By rejecting the politics of the Muslim League, they brought about the end of its regime in East Pakistan.

The 21-Point Demands of the Jukto (United) Front in 1954 in Bengali Nationalism

Bangla will be one of the state languages of Pakistan.
The feudal system will be abolished without compensation; all brokerage and certificate systems will be null and void.
Jute trade should be nationalized with fair prices, and the culprits involved in the jute scam should be rightly punished.
A cooperative agricultural system should be introduced, and handicrafts and small cottage industries will be developed.
Salt industries will be expanded, and the culprits involved in the salt scam will be duly punished.
Homeless workers in factories and technical trades will be rehabilitated.
Canals will be dug for irrigation, agriculture will be improved, and measures will be taken for flood control and famine prevention.
East Bengal will be properly industrialized, and the rights of laborers will be duly protected.
Free and compulsory primary education will be provided, and a decent scale of salary and allowances for teachers will be ensured.
Through reforms of the education system and the introduction of Bangla as the medium of instruction, universities like Dhaka and Rajshahi will be given full autonomy, and all black laws will be repealed to make higher education more accessible.
Expenditure in running the administration will be reduced, and wage discrimination between high and low-paid staff will be minimized.
All kinds of corruption will be wiped out.
Political detainees will be unconditionally released, and freedom of speech, assembly, and the press will be ensured.
The judiciary will be separated from the administration.
Bordhaman House will temporarily serve as a hostel and later be turned into a research center for Bangla language and literature.
A Shahid Minar (memorial) will be erected in memory of the language martyrs.
21st February will be declared ‘Martyrs’ Day,’ and it will be a government holiday.
East Pakistan will have full autonomy as per the historic Lahore proposal.
Free and fair elections will be held regularly.
If the Jukto (United) Front is defeated in three consecutive by-elections, the cabinet will resign.