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The historic Language Movement

Abdul Ghafur (From previous issue) Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaqat Ali Khan submitted on 28 September 1950, an interim report on the Basic Principles of the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly. The report, among other things, recommended Urdu as the only state language of Pakistan. A Grand National Convention was held against this on 4 and 5 November 1950 in the Dhaka District Bar Library Hall. Representatives of all political and cultural organisations supporting Bengali as a state language and regional autonomy including Tamaddun Majlis, East Pakistan Muslim Students League and Awami Muslim League attended the Convention. The Convention adopted alternative basic principles recommending regional autonomy in the spirit of the Lahore Resolution and Bengali and Urdu as the two state languages of Pakistan. The year 1951 witnessed the formation of yet another organisation supporting the cause of Bengali as a state language. It was the Purba Pakistan Jubo League, founded at a Youth Conference held at Dhaka on 27 and 28 March 1951. Former General Secretary of Assam Provincial Muslim League Mahmud Ali and Ali Ahad were elected President and General Secretary respectively. Towards February 1952: On 16 October 1951, Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaqat Ali Khan, while addressing a public meeting at Rawalpindi, was assassinated. Khwaja Nazimuddin was made the next Prime Minister. In January 1952 Khwaja Nazimuddin visited Dhaka and addressed a public meeting at Paltan Maidan on 27 January. In course of his speech he declared that only Urdu shall be the state language of Pakistan bluntly forgetting that it was he, who, in his capacity as the Provincial Chief Minister in 1948, signed agreement with the then State Language of Action Committee to make Bengali one of the state languages of Pakistan. Nazimuddin's comments sparked off wave of protests throughout East Pakistan. People from all walks of life came out in the streets holding processions, rallies, meetings to voice their protest against the treacherous remarks of the Prime Minister. On 30 January 1952 a meeting of representatives from different organisations was held at the Dhaka District Bar Library Hall with Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani in the chair and an All Party State Language Committee of Action was formed with the following persons: Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Abul Hashim, Shamsul Huq, Abdul Ghafur, Prof. Abdul Quasem, Ataur Rahman Khan, Kamruddin Ahmad, Khairat Hossain MLA, Mrs. Anwara Khatun MLA, Almas Ali, Abdul Awal, Syed Abdur Rahim, Mohammad Toaha, Oli Ahad, Shamsul Huq Chowdhury, Khaleq Nawaz Khan, Kazi Golam Mahbub (Convener), Mirza Golam Hafiz, Mujibul Huq, Hedayet Hossain Chowdhury, M. Shamsul Alam, Anwarul Huq Khan, Golam Mawla, Syed Nurul Alam, Mohammad Nurul Huda, Shaokat Ali, Abul Matin and Ahtaruddin Ahmad. The meeting decided to observe general strike, and hold meeting and processions throughout East Pakistan on 21 February, the day on which the East Bengal Legislative Assembly was to go into session.[Vide-'Jatiya Rajniti', Oli Ahad, 3rd edition, 1997, P. 104-106]. Hectic activities started to make the 21 February programme a success throughout the whole province. 21 February and After: Government got panicky at the turn of events. On 20 February afternoon, Government promulgated 144 Cr. PC banning all meetings, processions in Dhaka city for one month. An emergent meeting of the All Party Committee of Action was held on 20 February night at the Awami Muslim League Office, 94, Nawabpur Road to review the latest situation. The meeting, which was chaired by Abul Hashim, after threadbare discussion for and against breaking 144 Cr. p.c. decided not to break 144 Cr. P. C. on the basis of 11 to 4 votes. It was, however, decided that both the views would be placed before the students gathering to be held on the University campus on 21 February morning, and also that the decision of the gathering would be considered final. The students gathering of 21 February was held at the University campus with Gaziul Huq in the chair. Mr. Shamusl Huq (Awami League) and Abdul Matin (University Committee of Action) respectively placed the majority and minority views in the meeting. The meeting overwhelmingly decided to break 144 Cr. p.c. The meeting over, the students began to go out in the streets in groups of sixes, eights and tens voluntarily courting arrest by breaking 144 cr. pc. The process of peaceful breaking of 144 Cr.P.C. however, did not continue for long. At one stage police entered into the Univeristy campus and took resort to lathicharge on student crowds. This made the students furious. They started brick batting on the police and tried to rush towards the Legislative Assembly which was in session in the Jagannath Hall auditorium. The police tried to resist the demonstrating students by resorting to lathicharge and firing tear gas shells on them. The student who far outnumbered the police tried to clear their path towards the Assembly by resorting to incessant brickbatting. As a result the situation fast grew tense. The caution and insight that was needed to tackle such a critical situation could not be demonstrated by the District Magistrate Qureshi who ordered the police to fire. The result of the order was tragic. One language demonstrator after another started falling on the ground in front of the Medical College Hostel, with blood spiling from their bodies. Bloodstained body of Abul Barkat fell on the ground, followed by Salahuddin who lost the skull of his head. Then there were Jabbar, Shafiq, Rafiq and a host of other known and unknown youths who either lost their lives or were admitted in the hospital in a critical state. According to government. account, the number of casualties was four, but this was far from truth. In the evening curfew was promulgated in the city and it is apprehended that many dead bodies were removed from the hospital morgue during the night. The news of stude