Bangladesh Language Movement

The Bangladesh Language Movement was a political and cultural campaign in the 1950s aimed at promoting the Bengali language in then-East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In 1948, the Pakistani government declared Urdu the sole national language, which marginalized Bengali speakers, who made up the majority of the population in East Pakistan. In response, protests erupted, culminating in violent clashes on February 21, 1952, when police killed several students advocating for Bengali language rights. This sparked widespread activism, ultimately leading to the recognition of Bengali as an official language in 1956 and fueling the broader struggle for autonomy and independence.