Rasheduzzaman Rashed: According to historical linguists, the origin of Bengali language is from Indo-European language lineage.  Historian linguist Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah mentions that the Indo-European language group existed about five thousand years before Christ.  The Aryan language is one of the ancient languages ​​that originated from the original language in about two and a half thousand years BC.  From the Indian Aryan language, Gauri became Prakrit.  When the people of India were overwhelmed by almost two hundred years of exploitation and rule by the British government.  Then innumerable revolutionary people including Master Da Surya, Pritilata Waddedar, Khudiram were born in every house of India for human liberation.  In the end, India was liberated by defeating the British.  The state of Pakistan was created on 14 August 1947 after overcoming various setbacks.  Then the discussion and criticism was made about what will be the state language of this state.  After the partition of the subcontinent on the basis of biracialism, the discrimination of the Pakistani ruling class started with the declaration of Urdu as the official language of the minority.  "Tamaddun Majlis" was formed on 1 September 1948, just 18 days after the creation of the state of Pakistan, by electing Abul Qasim, Professor of Physics, University of Dhaka, as its Secretary.  The first Rashtrabhasha Sangram Parishad was formed on 1 October 1948 under the leadership of Majlis.  Tamaddun Majlis is basically the embodiment of the language movement.  As a result, the name of the first spontaneous protest and motivation of the Bengali nation was the movement for protection of one`s mother tongue on 21 February 1952.  The Bengali nation is fearless and ruthless.  That is why the Bengali nation has never been defeated.  The great pride and arrogance of the Bengali nation is that they have given their lives for the language as the only nation in the world.  The then Pakistani ruling class strategically used religion to take away Bengali, the mother tongue of the Bengali nation.

 When the Pakistani ruling class offered to write Bengali in Arabic script, the Bengalis, realizing the tactics of exploitation in the name of their religion, rejected it with intense hatred.  Just then the Bengalis proved to be a nation of genuine non-communal consciousness.  Bengalis were the majority in the then Pakistan.  Muhammad Ali Jinnah completely ignored Bengali, the language of the majority

 At a public meeting in Dhaka on 21 March 1948, he declared that "Urdu will be the only state language of Pakistan."  The Bengalis termed Jinnah`s proclamation as undemocratic and arbitrary.  Later, on 30 January 1952, Khwaja Nazimuddin, in imitation of Quaid-e-Azam, declared at a public meeting in Dhaka that "Urdu will be the only state language of Pakistan."  The people of East Pakistan erupted in a fierce explosion at his announcement.  The mother tongue Bengali language movement reached its peak.

 The Gram Parishad of Bengal, a brave soldier of the language movement, declared 21 February as the State Language Day.  On the other hand, the same day (February 21) was the day of the budget session of the Government of Pakistan.  After the government had earlier issued section 144 to thwart the students` program, the students of Salimullah Muslim Hall convened an emergency meeting and decided to break section 144.  The students took out a procession for every ten people by observing a general strike on that day.  Police forces in the field to resist the language movement.  Police throw baton charges and tear gas on students.  When it is seen, at one stage, the police fired on the procession when they could not work in the corner.  As a result, Barkat, Salam, Jabbar and Rafiq were also killed.  Maulana Bhasani, Mr. Abul Hashim, Prof. Muzaffar Ahmed, Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed, Prof. Munir Chowdhury, Mr. Oli Ahad, Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkbagish and M Osman Ali were arrested for supporting the language movement.  As a result, the intensity of the language movement continues to increase.  Bengali

 The Gram Parishad of Bengal, a brave hero of the language movement, declared 21 February as the State Language Day.  After the Pakistani government had earlier issued Section 144 to thwart the students` program, the students of Salimullah Muslim Hall convened an emergency meeting and decided to break Section 144.  The students took out a procession for every ten people by observing a general strike on that day.  On the other hand, the police force took to the field to resist the movement.  Police throw baton charges and tear gas on students.  When it is seen, at one stage, the police fired on the procession when they could not work in the corner.  As a result, Barkat, Salam, Jabbar and Rafiq were also killed.  Dhaka`s highways are stained with blood

 The way was paved for the future fall of the Pakistani government.

The Bengali nation established the mother tongue as the state language with fresh blood.  The Bengali nation is fearless and ruthless.  That is why the Bengali nation has never been defeated.  The great pride and arrogance of the Bengali nation is that they had to give their lives for the language as the only nation in the world.  Why did they want to take away the language of Bengalis?  No nation in the world has given its life for language.  Only the Bengali nation defended its mother tongue with blood and life on the streets.  This debt of theirs will not be forgotten by Bengalis i.e. Bangladesh.  As long as the world exists and as long as there is a state called Baladesh, the language will remember the soldiers with reverence.  The history and struggle of Bengali language will come up through the writings of poets, writers, intellectuals, writers and progressive people.  Recognition of Bengali language became more and more established after the recognition of 21st February as the International Mother Language Day by the UN body UNESCO on 21st February, 1999.  Since 2000, February 21 has been celebrated as International Mother Language Day in 193 countries around the world.  After the independence of the country in 1974, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established Bengal for the first time in the world court by giving a speech in Bengali at the UN General Assembly.  Which is our pride and arrogance.  According to statisticians, Bengalis are now spread all over the world.  Therefore, the scope of Bengali language has also expanded.  Bengali is now spoken by about 300 million people in the world.  By 2050, the number of Bengali speakers between the ages of 14 and 25 will be 316 million.

 The world poet Rabindranath Tagore said, ‘If the first education is not done through the mother tongue, then the child`s intellect does not flourish like a flower.  Children do not get the real smell of Bengal in the things borrowed from outside.  So they have to learn to smell the flowers first.  That is why parents should teach their children up to a certain stage through their mother tongue.  Then the second language will take the other as the third language. `

 If we as a Bengali nation cannot maintain discipline in our mother tongue then how can there be discipline in that nation.  We Bengalis are celebrating the distortion of Bengali language.  Various English words and vulgar language are being used in Bengali language in such a way that Bengali language is not being maintained in normal standard.  The existence of Bengali language came almost 6 years after the language movement.

 According to a survey conducted by the International Mother Tongue Institute, Bangladesh has 41 languages, of which 34 are languages ​​of small ethnic groups.  But due to the lack of educational opportunities in that alphabet, due to the pressure of Bengali language on them, even though their own languages ​​are practiced orally, it has lost its written form.  The success of the initiative could not reach all levels due to non-inclusion of ethnic groups, non-appointment of teachers in their communities, inadequate distribution of adequate textbooks, etc.  As a result, there can be no such discrimination in an independent country.  Therefore, in order to repay the blood debt of the language martyrs, the language rights of the small ethnic groups have to be given.  The status of Bengali language should be established and its proper application should be made in all levels of society.  The importance of mother tongue Bengali to the new generation and the history of the establishment of Bengali language through historical language movement and bloody struggle should be highlighted so that they become interested in the practice, care and use of mother tongue Bengali.  To prevent distortion, the child receives language education from his family at an early stage, so his family and primary education should be given importance.

 Author: Rasheduzzaman Rashed is a columnist. He can be reached at rashedurzamanrashed2@gmail.com