Challenges in developing Bangla as a language

Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
Language is the prime carrier of a culture. It is also the most powerful instrument of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. During the course of world history, many cultures and civilizations have been shattered, devastated and crushed because of the demolition of their languages. Nations in the past have not only lost their freedom to the powerful, influential and predominant ones, their languages and identity has withered and been lost as well. It is estimated that around 6000 to 7000 languages are spoken in the world today. This initiative of celebrating a day specifically as Language Day will enable development of a fuller awareness of such linguistic and cultural traditions and will inspire solidarity based on understandings, tolerance and dialogue. The day reaffirms the commitment of UNESCO towards preserving language diversity and reflects the importance of increasing efforts to conserve languages as a shared heritage of humanity.
The basis of Bengali nationalism is the 52′ language movement. The importance of the language movement behind the establishment of independent Bangladesh is undeniable. There is a historical background behind the Bengali language movement. Even though Bengali is the mother tongue of the majority of the people of Pakistan, attempts were made to impose Urdu as the state language in East Bengal in a completely undemocratic manner. Because of which a massive movement for the establishment of Bengali as the state language began on 2 September 1947 with the formation of ‘Tamuddun Majlis’. With the initiative of some teachers and students of Dhaka University, the final success of that movement came on 21 February of 1952.
The implications of the language movement were multifaceted and far-reaching in the social, cultural and political life of Pakistan and later on in Bangladesh from 1971 onwards. The language movement began in 1948 (though the origin of the issue could be traced further back in time as many historians did) and came to a closure with the event of February 21, 1952, when Bangalee youths laid their life for the demand of Bangla to be one of the state languages of Pakistan. Though the language movement had begun in some form in late 1947 and early 1948, the movement of 1952, despite the continuation of the same demand, was different in its vastness, significance and the involvement of people.
In Bangladesh, where the education system is already ridden with multi-faceted challenges, the discussion about incorporating the mother tongue in a child’s early learning years is seldom in the limelight. Even amidst the raging debate on the pros and cons of English- and Bangla-medium schools, one rarely ever asks what medium of instruction suits the students’ best in terms of efficiency of learning and teacher-student communication. The fact is that primary education in the mother tongue is crucial for building a strong foundation for a child’s future learning and a growing body of literature in favour of this view is further proof of it. The emphasis is on primary education for mother tongue-based learning mainly due to the fact that it is the beginning stage of reading and writing for a child – a critical time period – and learning is far more efficient when a familiar language is the mode of instruction. Simply put, if you speak to a child in a language that he understands, he will absorb the information and express himself better.
Primary students of Bangla-medium schools on the other hand have the upper hand in that the medium of instruction is familiar to them, but the situation in these schools is worse off due to the utter lack of quality teaching and a learning environment that’s anything but conducive. The National Student Assessment carried out by the Directorate of Primary Education revealed some horrifying statistics in terms of learning achievements: two-thirds of class III students and three-fourths of class V students did not meet the desired benchmark in Bangla – the language they supposedly are comfortable expressing themselves in but clearly are incapable of reading and writing well. No, this does not contradict the fact that primary education in the mother tongue is beneficial; rather it only goes to show that there are some serious flaws in the way children are being taught in government schools and the poor quality of teachers in these schools.
Language is inherently political – and no one knows this better than the Bangladeshi people. We, out of all people, should know that education in the indigenous language is only the first step towards securing the rights of our ethnic minorities in a land where their languages are under threat. The good news is that there seems to be genuine recognition of the importance of education in indigenous languages at the policy level. The bad news is that we are moving at a snail’s pace and we still have a lot of ground to cover which, at this point, seems like an impossible feat.
It is no doubt that Bengali language and nationalism are compliments to each other. Again in regards to the Use of Bengali languages we have its challenges. The language movement was a student movement. The students protested, the students marched and the students went to jail. Our expectation to the new generation is that the students who led the language movement in Bangladesh will be conscious of establishing the truth and will strive to establish the glorious history for getting the status as an official language of the United Nations.

(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar and VDP).