ABSTRACT
The Bengali Language Movement marks the beginning of Bangladesh's struggle for self-determination. Though there were many leaders who guided this movement, the purpose of this essay is to discuss chiefly Dhirendranath Datta's role in the early phases of the struggle. Once Bengali is adopted as the State Language, the author may then consider whether Urdu can also be afforded the status as one of the State Languages'. The Central Government of Pakistan had already started the unilateral use of 'Urdu' in most of the official documents and in the letter head of the Central Government even before it was formally adopted as the 'only' State Language. The most enlightened section of the student community of the Dhaka University started opposing the various policies of the Central Government by the end of 1947. It aimed at building resistance against the reactionary and anti-Bengali policies of the Muslim League Government.
