The Bengali Language Movement was a political effort in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...

(now

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

) that advocated the adoption of

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

as an official language. The movement faced violent opposition by the government before finally succeeding. Numerous songs, poems, novels and plays were written to commemorate the movement, as well as films and memoirs.

Songs

*''

Ekusher Gaan "Ekusher Gaan" ( bn, একুশের গান "The Song of Twentyfirst"), more popularly known (after its first line) as "''Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano''" ( bn, আমার ভাইয়ের রক্তে রাঙানো "My Brothers' ...

'' (The Song of Twentyfirst) by

Abdul Gaffar Choudhury Abdul Gaffar Choudhury (12 December 1934 – 19 May 2022) was a Bangladeshi-born British writer, journalist, columnist, political analyst and poet. He wrote the lyrics to "Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano", a widely celebrated song commemorating the ...

*''Ora Amar Mukher Kotha'' (They are my Words) by Abdul Latif *''Ekushey February'' (21 February) by

Kabir Suman Kabir Suman (born Suman Chattopadhyay; 16 March 1949) is an Indian music director, songwriter, singer, composer, politician, and former journalist.

Poems

*''Kadte Ashini Fashir Dabi Niye Ashechi'' (I have not come to mourn but to appeal for hanging) by Mahbub Ul Alam Choudhury *''Bornomala, Amar Dukhini Bornomala'' by Shamsur Rahman *''February 1969'' by Shamsur Rahman *''Amake ki malyo debe dao'' by Nirmalendu Goon *''Chithi'' by Abu Zafar Obaidullah *''Shobhyotar Monibondhe'' by Syed Shamsul Haque

Sculpture and architecture

* Shaheed Minar ( "Martyr Monument") in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

, Bangladesh. *

Moder Gorob Moder Gorob or Our Pride is a sculpture situated in front of Bangla Academy building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was dedicated to the memory of those killed during the Bengali Language Movement demonstrations of 1952, when protesters demanding Ben ...

(Our Pride ) – is a sculpture situated in front of Bangla Academy building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. * Bhasha Smritistambha (Language Monument) – located at Deshapriya Park, Kolkata, India. * Bhasha Shahid Smarak (Language Martyrs Memorial) – at Ekushe Udyan park, Kolkata, India.

Novels

*''Ekushey February'' by

Zahir Raihan Mohammad Zahirullah (19 August 1935 – disappeared 30 January 1972), known as Zahir Raihan, was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is most notable for his documentary ''Stop Genocide'' (1971), made during the Bangladesh Liberatio ...

*''Artonaad'' by

Shawkat Osman Sheikh Azizur Rahman (known as Shawkat Osman; 2 January 1917 – 14 May 1998) was a Bangladeshi novelist and short story writer. He won the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1962, the Ekushey Padak in 1983 and the Independence Day Award in 1997. ...

*''Nirontor Ghontadhoni'' by

Selina Hossain Selina Hossain (born 14 June 1947) is a Bangladeshi novelist and the current president of Bangla Academy since February 2022. Her major works include ''Hangor Nodi Grenade'' (1976) and ''Poka Makorer Ghor Boshoti'' (1996). She earned all major nat ...

Films

*'' Jibon Theke Neya'' (Taken from Life) directed by

* '' Bangla'' directed by

Shahidul Islam Khokon Shahidul Islam Khokon (15 May 1957 – 4 April 2016) was a Bangladeshi filmmaker and producer. Career Khokon debuted as a director on 1985 through his film ''Rokter Bondi''. He directed more than 30 films and most of them were commercially succe ...

* ''

Fagun Haway ''Fagun Haway'' ( bn, ফাগুন ‍হাওয়ায়, lit=In Spring breeze) is a Bangladeshi historical drama film based on the novel ''Bou Kotha Kou'' by Tito Rahman. This movie based on the Bengali language movement during 1952 i ...

'' (In Spring breeze) directed by

Tauquir Ahmed Tauquir Ahmed (born 5 March 1966) is a Bangladeshi architect and actor, turned director in both television and cinema. His films won many international and national awards including Bangladesh National Film Awards in the Best Director, Best S ...

Stage play

*''Kobor'' (Grave) by

Munier Chowdhury Munier Choudhury (27 November 192514 December 1971) was a Bangladeshi educationist, playwright, literary critic and political dissident. He was a victim of the mass killing of Bangladeshi intellectuals in 1971. He was awarded Independence Day A ...

Things named after the movement

*''

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...

'', the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh *''

Ekushey Book Fair The Ekushey Book Fair ( bn, একুশে বই মেলা, Ekuśe Bôi Mela), officially called Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela ( bn, অমর একুশে গ্রন্থ মেলা, lit='Immortal Book Fair of the Twenty-first f February ...

'', the national book fair of Bangladesh *''

Ekushey Television Ekushey Television ( bn, একুশে টেলিভিশন; , in reference to 21 February), also known by its acronym ETV, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language privately owned satellite and cable television channel owned by S. Alam Group of ...

'', the first private terrestrial TV channel in Bangladesh *'' Ekushe Udyan'', park in

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

, India *'' Bhasha Udyan'', part of Surendra Nath park in

References

Linguistic history of Bangladesh Bengali language movement Bengali language {{Bangladesh-stub