National Professor Rafiqul Islam’s profound contribution to documenting the Language Movement in Bangladesh was the culmination of a lifelong passion for photography.

As women, lower-caste people and Muslims in colonial Bengal were moving into the public space and institutions in the early 20th century, the effect was also being felt in the literary-archival discussions about the Bengali past.

Even before the partition of India, the question of language was an issue of debate, which eventually turned into an acute dilemma for both Pakistan and India. Against this backdrop, Dr Muhammad Shahidullah actively delved into the discussion of language, a key component of state formation and mechanism. His intervention in this subject, to this day, remains remarkable. 

The Language Movement began in the immediate aftermath of the establishment of Pakistan, spurred by the demands of student organisations in the then East Pakistan. It was a crucial component of a broader set of demands addressing the realities of East Pakistan.