WOMEN’S ROLE IN THE BANGLA LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

CONTEXT OF THE BANGLA LANGUAGE MOVEMENT The Language movement (1948-1956)

started to establish Bangla, the mother tongue of the majority in Bangladesh(then East Pakistan) as a state language.

It was a struggle to protect cultural identity from government suppression.

It laid the foundation of nationalism and paved the way for the birth of Bangladesh.

WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE LANGUAGE MOVEMENT Women actively

participated in the movement-at a time when society was largely conservative.

Conventional historical narratives have overshadowed the heroic deeds of women.

Women’s tasks included, but were not limited to:

• Writing posters.• Management of school girls in procession. Later, women came forward to fill up the

void in leadership when male leaders were imprisoned or had to go into hiding to avoid police arrest.

Women were the first to defy curfew under section 144 on the fateful February 21,1952.

NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS

Pratibha Mutsuddi• Student of Chittagong College (1951)

and Dhaka University (1954),member of Students' Federation.

• Participated in demonstrations held in Chittagong city protesting the firing on students in Dhaka in 1952.

• Arrested for breaking Section 144 during 21 February,1955.

NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS Mamtaj Begum• Headmistress of Narayanganj Morgan

Girl’s School.• Arrested for organizing demonstration

protesting police killings of language activists.

• Refused the government’s offer to sign a mercy petition admitting mistake in exchange for her freedom.

• Jailed for over a year, she lost her job and was disowned by family.

• Died all alone at the young age of 37.

NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS

Rawshan Ara Bachchu•  Member of Democratic Progressive

Student Front.• Spoke in favor of women's participation in

politics in a radio program on April,1950.• One of the forerunners to deny the curfew

in DU Campus on 21 February,1952. • Also involved in the students’ movement

for a pro-people education policy.

NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS Anwara Khatun• one of the members along with Maulana

Tarkabagish who famously staged a walkout as a protest against Chief Minister Nurul Amin's inaction during February 21 police firing.

• Moved a resolution in the East Bengal Legislative Assembly on February 22,1952 demanding the unconditional release of all arrested for language protest and compensation to the victims.

• Led Awami League during 1966 when male leadership was imprisoned for the 6-points movement.

SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED FEMALE LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS

Dr Halima Khatun

Dr Sufia Khatun

Nurunnahar Kabir

Fazilatunnesa

Safia Khatun Sofia Khan

Zulekha Sara Taifur

SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED FEMALE LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS

Rani Bhattachari

yaManjushree

SenSufia

Ahmed

Nuri Sufia Ibrahim

Begum Zobeda Khatun

Chowdhury

SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED FEMALE LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS

Zakia Sultana Bulu Rabeya

Chhomela

Foujia Begum Feroja

Saleha Halima

REFERENCES http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2007

/02/24/the-forgotten-women-veterans-of-the-language-movement

http://www.londoni.co/index.php/history-of-bangladesh?id=151

http://www.thedailystar.net/women-language-movement-heroes-of-nilphamari-65544