Lesson 2/54 min
21 February 1952
The final phase (1950–1952)
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 11 March 1950 | The University State Language Action Committee is formed; convener Abdul Matin |
| 27 January 1952 | At Paltan Maidan, Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin again says Urdu will be the state language |
| 31 January 1952 | The All-Party Central State Language Action Committee is formed; convener Kazi Golam Mahboob |
| 20 February 1952 | The government imposes Section 144 in Dhaka |
| 21 February 1952 | Students break Section 144 and gather at the Dhaka Medical College grounds; police open fire |
| 22 February 1952 | The mourning procession is fired on; Shafiur Rahman is martyred |
Watch out: Many books give 26 January for Nazimuddin's declaration. According to Banglapedia the date is 27 January 1952.
Who held which office at the time
| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| Governor-General of Pakistan | Malik Ghulam Muhammad |
| Prime Minister of Pakistan | Khawaja Nazimuddin |
| Chief Minister of East Bengal | Nurul Amin |
Did you know?: In the Bangla calendar, 21 February 1952 was 8 Falgun 1358, a Thursday.
Memory trick: The conveners of the four action committees, in order: Nurul Huq → Shamsul Alam → Abdul Matin → Kazi Golam Mahboob.
Check yourself
Who was the convener of the All-Party Central State Language Action Committee?
At a glance
- 1
On 27 January 1952 at Paltan Maidan, Khawaja Nazimuddin again declared Urdu the only state language.
- 2
The All-Party Central State Language Action Committee was formed on 31 January 1952; convener Kazi Golam Mahboob.
- 3
On 21 February 1952 (8 Falgun 1358), students broke Section 144 and brought out a procession.
- 4
At the time, Khawaja Nazimuddin was Prime Minister of Pakistan and Nurul Amin was Chief Minister of East Bengal.