Bangladesh Flag
Bengali has been recognized as the official language of Bangladesh since its liberation in 1971. The measures taken in Bangladesh to protect Bengali during the 20th century illustrates its symbolic importance to the country’s national identity. Bengali developed as a dialectic language until its standardization in the nineteenth century.
As a prominent language in one of the most populated regions in the world, Bengali is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Many languages influenced the evolution of the Bengali language, and it most heavily relates to Sanskrit. Linguists identify three periods in the progression of the language; Old Bengali, Middle Bengali, and New Bengali.
Since Bengali adapted regionally rather than nationally, hundreds of local dialects existed for the south-Asian language until standardization attempts began in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Since many dialects still exist, regional Bengali could be incomprehensible to a Bengali speaker from another region.
Modern interpretations of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh sometimes fail to see beyond geographic boundaries. In reality, citizens of the Indian sub-continent are more historically linked through religion and language than they are bound by nation lines. This helps to explain the several linguistic movements throughout India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Different religious and regional affiliations became identified by their chosen language and were hard-pressed to give up their traditions.
After the formation of West and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) the Muslim government of Pakistan mandated that Urdu would be the national language, effectively banning Bengali from modern Bangladesh. Pakistan viewed Urdu as a Muslim language and as such, proper to represent the newly created Muslim state. Bangladesh, on the other hand, recognized Bengali as part of their regional history and refused to concede. Rather than identify with Pakistan as linked through Muslim beliefs, Bangladesh felt their sense of identity was defined more by regional affiliation and the attempted eradication of Bengali inspired East Pakistan’s nationalism.
In 1951 and 1952, the Bengali Language Movement inspired nationalist pride for a future Bangladesh. This feeling grew in intensity and culminated at a student protest where several people were slain for protesting against the national language. That day is now celebrated in Bangladesh on February 21st, and is known as International Mother Language Day.
In addition to Bangladesh, Bengali is one of the several recognized languages of India. The largest concentration of Bengali speakers outside of Bangladesh are in Assam and West Bengal in India, but the language has spread in large numbers to Europe and the American continents as well.
Bengali represents a strong symbol for the history of Bangladesh and embodies much of the country’s nationalistic tendencies. The constant shifting of borders and states throughout the sub-continent made language a strong representation of culture and this sentiment continues to exist today.