This work is about some of the female language activists who took part in the language movement in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).Though they fought side by side with men going against social norm,they have been omitted from historical account.

1. WOMEN’S ROLE IN THE
BANGLA LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

2. CONTEXT OF THE BANGLA LANGUAGE
MOVEMENT
 The Language movement (1948-1956)
started to establish Bangla, the mother
tongue of the majority in Bangladesh(then
East Pakistan) as a state language.
 It was a struggle to protect cultural identity
from government suppression.
 It laid the foundation of nationalism and
paved the way for the birth of Bangladesh.

3. WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE
LANGUAGE MOVEMENT
 Women actively
participated in the
movement-at a time
when society was
largely
conservative.
 Conventional
historical narratives
have overshadowed
the heroic deeds of
women.

4.  Women’s tasks included, but were not
limited to:
• Writing posters.
• Management of school girls in procession.
 Later, women came forward to fill up the
void in leadership when male leaders were
imprisoned or had to go into hiding to avoid
police arrest.
 Women were the first to defy curfew under
section 144 on the fateful February 21,1952.

5. NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE
ACTIVISTS
 Pratibha Mutsuddi
• Student of Chittagong College (1951) and
Dhaka University (1954),member of
Students' Federation.
• Participated in demonstrations held in
Chittagong city protesting the firing on
students in Dhaka in 1952.
• Arrested for breaking Section 144 during 21
February,1955.

6. NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE
ACTIVISTS
 Mamtaj Begum
• Headmistress of Narayanganj Morgan Girl’s
School.
• Arrested for organizing demonstration
protesting police killings of language
activists.
• Refused the government’s offer to sign a
mercy petition admitting mistake in
exchange for her freedom.
• Jailed for over a year, she lost her job and
was disowned by family.
• Died all alone at the young age of 37.

7. NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE
ACTIVISTS
 Rawshan Ara Bachchu
• Member of Democratic Progressive Student
Front.
• Spoke in favor of women's participation in
politics in a radio program on April,1950.
• One of the forerunners to deny the curfew in
DU Campus on 21 February,1952.
• Also involved in the students’ movement for
a pro-people education policy.

8. NOTABLE FEMALE LANGUAGE
ACTIVISTS
 Anwara Khatun
• one of the members along with Maulana
Tarkabagish who famously staged a walkout
as a protest against Chief Minister Nurul
Amin's inaction during February 21 police
firing.
• Moved a resolution in the East Bengal
Legislative Assembly on February 22,1952
demanding the unconditional release of all
arrested for language protest and
compensation to the victims.
• Led Awami League during 1966 when male
leadership was imprisoned for the 6-points

9. SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED FEMALE
LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS
Dr Halima
Khatun
Dr Sufia
Khatun
Nurunnahar
Kabir
Fazilatunnesa Safia Khatun Sofia Khan
Zulekha Sara Taifur

10. SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED FEMALE
LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS
Rani
Bhattachariya
Manjushree
Sen
Sufia Ahmed
Nuri Sufia Ibrahim
Begum Zobeda
Khatun
Chowdhury

11. SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED FEMALE
LANGUAGE ACTIVISTS
Zakia
Sultana
Bulu Rabeya
Chhomela
Foujia
Begum
Feroja
Saleha Halima

12. REFERENCES
 http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2007/02/2
4/the-forgotten-women-veterans-of-the-
language-movement
 http://www.londoni.co/index.php/history-of-
bangladesh?id=151
 http://www.thedailystar.net/women-
language-movement-heroes-of-nilphamari-
65544