When Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned to Dhaka after the partition, his thirst for an independent Bangladesh had already begun to grow.
Bangabandhu obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Islamia College under Calcutta University in 1947 before being admitted to the department of law at Dhaka University. On January 4, 1948, he formed the East Pakistan Muslim Students League, now known as Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The address 150, Mughal Tuli became the first office of the league. It was at this location that Bangabandhu played a crucial role in leading the historic Language Movement from 1948 to 1952.
Bangabandhu rose in spontaneous protest on February 23, 1948, when then-Prime Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Nazimuddin declared at the Legislative Assembly that the people of East Pakistan must accept Urdu as their state language.
On March 2 the same year, the Shongram Parishad was reformed at a joint meeting of Tomoddun Majlish and Muslim Students League at Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall. The meeting was attended by leaders and activists of various organizations, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Shamsul Huq, Oli Ahad, Muhammad Toaha, Abul Kashem, Ronesh Das Gupta, and Ajit Guha.
At the meeting, it was decided to build up a concerted movement for the establishment of Bangla as a state language of Pakistan through the formation of the All-Party Council for Struggle on State Language.
A leader imprisoned
On March 11, the young Bangabandhu was arrested along with some other student leaders while they were holding a demonstration in front of the Secretariat building.
“We decided that March 11 would be declared as Bengali Language Demand Day. We also decided to spring into action at all the districts on that day. I gave speeches at student meetings in Faridpur, Jessore, Daulatpur, Khulna and Barisal on the subject before arriving in Dhaka three days before the appointed day,” Bangabandhu wrote in “The Unfinished Memoirs”.
“Some of us were beaten up and some were arrested and hauled into jeeps. Mr Huq had already been forcibly taken to one of the jeeps. Many students were hurt and arrested. Oli Ahad had also been arrested. Tajuddin, Toaha and a few others had managed to elude the police. Around 70-75 of us were tied up and sent to jail in the evening,” according to Bangabandhu’s diaries.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his fellow political leaders are seen offering prayers on the street in memory of the Language Movement
martyrs on February 21, 1953 | mujib100.gov.bd
Language Veteran Oli Ahad in his book “National Politics 1945-1975” wrote: “In order to take part in the strike, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman came to Dhaka from Gopalganj on March 10. During the strike program of 11 March, Sheikh Mujib was so involved and excited that this strike would redefine the course of life.”
Bangabandhu continued to play a vital role in Language Movement while in prison. He used to keep contact with student leaders from various political parties from jail.
Language Veteran Gaziul Huq also in his memoirs “Amar Dekha, Amar Lekha” wrote: “After being arrested in October 1948, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was incarcerated at various prisons up to February 1952. Hence, naturally, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman could not physically participate in the Language Movement of 1952. However, he maintained communications with activists and leaders of the movement from jail and advised them on various issues”.
Bangabandhu was released in time to observe the first anniversary of Language Martyrs Day, now recognized as International Mother Language Day, on February 21, 1953. A photo in “The Unfinished Memoirs” shows a young Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marching towards the Shaheed Minar alongside Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani on the day.
Following the Languague Movement, Bangabandhu extended his support to a movement by Class 4 employees of the Dhaka University in the demand for their rights and job security. Bangabandhu was arrested from the DU vice-chancellor’s residence on April 19, 2949, after he had gathered for a demonstration there with some other students.
Bangabandhu was expelled for the demonstration, but he was reinstated posthumously in 2010.
"A mistake can be fixed even after 100 years, and we have done it," former DU Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said after withdrawing the expelled order.
On June 23, 1949, the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League, currently Awami League, was founded and Bangabandhu was elected joint secretary while still in prison.