Bengali Language Movement

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bengali-language-movement

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary geographic location?East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
2. What is the key year of violent confrontation?1952
3. What was the Bengali Language Movement about?It was a fight to make Bengali an official language in East Pakistan, so people could use their own language at school and in government.
4. Why did the government want only Urdu?The leaders from West Pakistan wanted Urdu to be the national language, even though most people in East Pakistan spoke Bengali.

Linguistic Hegemony: The dominance of one language over others within a society or political entity.
Nationalism: A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country, often accompanied by a desire for independence.
Self-Determination: The right of a people to choose their own form of government and political status.
Cultural Imposition: The act of forcing one culture's beliefs, practices, or language onto another group.