The Language Movement is a matter of pride for all Bengalis. Bengali language has its own tradition of more than hundred years. Many people of Bangladesh (the then East Pakistan) struggled and lost their lives for Bengali, our mother tongue.
The protest started in 1948 and ended in 1956 when the Pakistani ruler was compelled to officially declare Bengali as one of the state languages.
In the morning on 21 February 1952, students began gathering on the premises of the University of Dhaka in defiance of Section 144 of the penal code. When a group of students sought to storm into the building, police opened fire and killed a number of students. Later, UNESCO decided to observe 21 February as International Mother Language Day.
