Language, Culture and the Creation of Bangladesh

The objective of this article is to analyse the role of language and culture in the creation of Bangladesh. The ethno-linguistic identity of the people
of East Pakistan became a source of othering and oppression in Pakistan’s nation-building process. The West Pakistani elites were unwilling to account for Bengali language and culture in the national identity of Pakistan. As a result, demands for representation, rights and respect of the Bengali people emerged out of the eastern province, which were denied by the Pakistani government and successive military juntas. A recurring denial of recognition and representation hardened the demands for autonomy and culminated into the demand for complete independence of East Pakistan. While multiple factors impacted the success of the Bangladesh Liberation War, language and culture were instrumental in motivating and sustaining the self-determination movement. Thus, this article attempts to revisit the Bangladesh Liberation War from the lens of linguistic and cultural identities, to understand how language andculture became determining forces for an independent Bangladesh