The history of Bengali

Bengali, also known as Bangla, is a member of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family of languages.

The recent history and politics of Bengali are complex. After partition in 1947, Hindu West Bengal remained in India with Bengali as the official state language. Muslim East Bengal became East Pakistan, adopting Urdu as the official language. Political instability and natural disasters destroyed a once thriving economy and led to high levels of unemployment. During a bitter civil war, the Bengali language was an important focus for the independence movement, with attempts to impose Urdu leading to acts of martyrdom. East Pakistan achieved independence in 1971, changing its name to Bangladesh and adopting Bengali as the official language.

Other languages and dialects are also spoken within Bangladesh, including Sylheti which is used by most Bangladeshi settlers in the UK. Sylheti, however, does not have a well-developed written tradition, and Bengali is the medium of instruction in schools. Qu'ranic Arabic is used for religious purposes and is widely taught in Islamic schools both in Bangladesh and in Bengali communities overseas.

Although approximately 85 per cent of the population of Bangladesh is Muslim, Hindus also form a sizeable minority. Most Bengali speakers in India are Hindu.