The Politics Of Language And The Fall Of Dhaka: A Discourse Historical Analysis

Abstract

This research analyzed the role of language policy in Pakistan, specifically its impact on the decision to make Urdu the sole national language of the country, as well as its political and administrative implications, which led to the dissolution of Dhaka in 1971. The research goal was to critically analyze the political dynamics of the policy for nation-building and regionalism in Pakistan. The research design was qualitative and the Discourse Historical Approach, was used as the theoretical framework. The data collection included primary texts from the 1947 and 1956 Constitutions of Pakistan, key speeches from political leaders such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Ayub Khan, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and government policy documents related to language planning. Furthermore, academic sources related to the Bengali Language Movement and the Fall of Dhaka provided a background and interpretation of the subject matter. These studies revealed that the imposition of Urdu favored West Pakistanis and marginalized East Pakistanis. This study also finds that this marginalization served to fuel Bengali nationalism and was a decisive factor in the political and cultural behavior leading to the secession of East Pakistan as separate state Bangladesh. The results of the study have important consequences for the study of language policy and multilingual society. Politically, the study asserts that draw some negative conclusions about Pakistan's early language policies, which united the Pakistani nation through the Urdu language, but ultimately strengthened population division. These findings indicate a need for language policies to adapt multilingual contexts, promoting unity and diversity both at the national and regional levels. The study suggests that implementing a more progressive language policy could prevent future social and political divisions in Pakistan and other multilingual states.