Language, Identity and Resistance: Bengali Muslim women in the Movement of 1952

The language movement of 1952 was a turning point in the lives of Bengali Muslim women for their socio-political emancipation and public identity. The women broke the patriarchal norms of society and involved themselves wholeheartedly in this movement for the defiance of Bengali as the state language. They courageously faced the police brutality by challenging the social restriction of their houses, which confined them to domestic spheres. Unlike the anti-British independence movement, where the women’s involvement was limited, the language movement provided the platform for collective Muslim women's activism for the sake of Bengali. Despite their significant contribution, the roles of Muslim women have largely been overlooked in mainstream historical narratives. Only the records of a few women have been documented, such as Roshan Ara Bachchu, Sufia Kamal, Sufia Ahmed, Sanjida Khatun and Begum Habibur Rahman, who contributed significantly to the language movement of 1952. Thus, the present study would examine the transformative impact of the language movement of 1952 on Bengali Muslim women by emphasising their courage and determination in shaping linguistic nationalism and women’s empowerment.