The Language Movement was a significant political movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the 1950s. It was a movement to recognize Bengali as an official language of Pakistan, alongside Urdu.
At the time, Urdu was the only official language in Pakistan, even though a large majority of the people in East Pakistan spoke Bengali. This led to widespread discrimination against the Bengali-speaking population in East Pakistan, who felt that their language and culture were being suppressed.
The Language Movement began in 1948, when the government of Pakistan declared that Urdu would be the only official language of the country. In response, students and intellectuals in East Pakistan began protesting and demanding that Bengali be recognized as an official language.
The movement gained momentum in 1952, when police opened fire on a peaceful demonstration in Dhaka, the capital of East Pakistan, killing several protesters. This event, known as the Language Movement Martyrs Day, is now commemorated as a national holiday in Bangladesh.
The Language Movement ultimately succeeded in its goal of securing official recognition for Bengali as a language of Pakistan. In 1956, the Pakistani government adopted a new constitution that recognized both Urdu and Bengali as official languages.
However, discrimination against the Bengali-speaking population continued in other forms, such as in government jobs and education. This led to further tensions, which eventually culminated in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, resulting in the creation of the independent nation of Bangladesh.