Overview of Bengali Language
Bengali, also known by its native name Bangla, is an Indo-Aryan language within the Indo-European language family. It originates from the Bengal region in South Asia. As of 2024, over 250 million people speak Bengali as their native language, and an additional 41 million use it as a second language. These numbers make Bengali the fifth most spoken native language in the world and the seventh most spoken language overall. It also ranks as the fifth most spoken Indo-European language.
Status and Usage in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, the language serves as the official, national, and most widely spoken language. Approximately 98% of the population speaks the language as their first language, making it central to the nation’s identity and communication.
Status and Usage in India
In India, Bengali is the second-most widely spoken language. It holds official language status in West Bengal, Tripura, and the Barak Valley region of Assam. Since September 2011, the government of Jharkhand has recognized the language as the second official language of the state. Additionally, it ranks as the most spoken language in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Substantial Bengali-speaking communities also reside in states such as Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, and Uttarakhand.
Bengali in the Diaspora
The Bengali diaspora, including both Bangladeshi and Indian Bengalis, actively uses the language in various parts of the world, such as Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and other countries. These communities continue to preserve and promote the language globally.
Growth and Development in India
According to the 2011 Census of India, Bengali ranks as the fourth fastest-growing language in the country, following Hindi and Kashmiri, while tying with Meitei (Manipuri) and Gujarati.
Literary and Historical Development
It has developed over a span of 1,300 years. Its literary tradition, which dates back over a millennium, experienced significant growth during the Bengali Renaissance. Today, Bengali literature is one of the most prolific and varied literary traditions in Asia.
The Bengali Language Movement
Between 1948 and 1956, activists in East Bengal organized the Bengali Language Movement, demanding recognition of the language as one of the official languages of Pakistan. This movement played a pivotal role in fostering Bengali nationalism, ultimately leading to the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. To honor this movement, UNESCO declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999.