The partition of British India in 1947 posed significant challenges to the state-building process in both India and Pakistan, including in Bengal, which faced the complexities of being divided between the two new nations. The Bangla language, which had thrived during the colonial era, suddenly found itself in an uncertain position within these newly formed states. After partition, the status of Bangla became deeply intertwined with religious identity, leading to a drastic shift in its socio-political landscape. Consequently, Bengal's literary figures engaged in deep reflection and practical discourse, seeking to understand the future role of Bangla in the context of nation-building.

As the Bengal province was divided, the composition of its population also changed. East Bengal became a part of Pakistan, while West Bengal remained a part of India. However, Calcutta, the undivided capital of Bengal until 1947, remained in West Bengal, while Dhaka was once again attained as this province's capital city. While both India and Pakistan concentrated their efforts on making Hindi and Urdu their state languages from the beginning, the question of what status Bangla would hold in these new states became a matter of concern. Literary figures sought to reconcile the high status Bangla had once enjoyed with the realities of the new political landscape.

For instance, poet Jibanananda Das (1899–1954) authored an extensive article in May 1951, titled Bangla Bhasa o Sahityer Bhabishat (The Future of Bangla Language and Literature), where he analysed the condition of the language in the context of post-partition Bengal. As one of the prominent figures among the modern poets of the 1930s, he critically assessed its future, exploring both its historical developments and prospects in a new, rapidly shifting context.

He stated that while English had been the state language of India, it would not retain the same position in the post-independence state, as India had already designated Hindi as its official language. However, he argued that Hindi was a far less developed language with a less significant literary tradition compared to English. At the same time, he acknowledged the crucial role English had played in enriching Bangla. He noted that, despite the challenges, English had greatly influenced Bangla. When Bangla first came into contact with English around 150 years ago, the latter was a far more developed language and thus helped foster not only Bangla literature but also critical thinking within the Bangla intellectual circles.

Jibanananda remarked that Bangla writers had greatly benefited from English for centuries, absorbing its power deeply. However, in independent India, Bangla no longer needed to borrow anything from Hindi, except perhaps for job-related purposes. While English had elevated Bangla, exchanging it for Hindi now would be a "loss and erosion" for Bangla. Though it might appear as prejudice against Hindi, this sentiment reflected the challenges faced by Bangla literary figures during that time.

The primary reason for the differing status of Bangla and Hindi lies in the rapid development of Bangla during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Jibanananda noted that, due to the contributions of Rabindranath Tagore, Bangla reached a literary sophistication comparable nearly to French or English. Notably, Tagore became the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

Before this, Bengal had served as the British bridgehead since 1757, with Calcutta functioning as the colonial capital from 1772 to 1911. The city became an intellectual and educational hub, attracting students and scholars from across India and beyond to its numerous institutions of higher learning. Throughout this time, Calcutta remained a vital transnational trading centre. Many government and educational institutions were based in Calcutta. As the seat of the Council of the Governor-General of India and the viceroy, Calcutta also witnessed the rise of prominent institutions such as Hindu College, which later became the renowned Presidency College. Although Calcutta lost its status as the capital of British India in 1911, the presence of Rabindranath Tagore—an iconic figure of Indian culture and civilisation, yet distinctly a Bangla poet—continued to draw scholars and academicians. Bengal had a thriving literary culture, but by the 1930s and 1940s, its literary standards declined compared to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

With independence came the division of Bengal, and Bangalees were split between India and Pakistan, losing their once-undivided territory and population. Jibanananda observed that the size of a state does not necessarily determine the vibrancy of its language. He pointed to Greece and England as prime examples, where, despite relatively small territories, Greek and English gained prominence in global arts and literature—Greek in antiquity and English in modern times. However, Jibanananda noted that Bengal had already been weakened by famine before partition, compounded by large-scale migration both before and after. He highlighted that West Bengal suffered immensely from the influx of refugees from East Bengal and the economic losses caused by partition. As people struggled for basic survival, their focus shifted to bread-and-butter issues, making the prospects for Bangla language and literature in West Bengal seem overwhelmingly bleak. But the gradual decline of Bangla literature, according to him, had already begun there, even before the calamities of riots and mass migration.

In addition, he explained that while Bangla and its standard verbal form had almost entirely dominated West Bengal—spearheaded by the educated society—by the 20th century, the influence of standard Bangla began expanding alongside local dialects, most of which were Eastern Bangla dialects. He argued that these Eastern Bangla dialects represented the most organic variations of the language. However, due to partition, this evolution was disrupted, as communication between the two parts of Bengal became very difficult due to the separation of the newly formed states.

Jibanananda Das observed that the language issue in East Pakistan had become increasingly serious over the years, particularly concerning the question of Pakistan's state language. However, he expressed hope that Bangalee Muslims in East Pakistan would strive to establish Bangla as one of the state languages, which, in turn, would benefit the status of Bangla in West Bengal. Writing in 1951, his prediction proved true after the events of February 21, 1952. Ultimately, Bangla was officially recognised as one of Pakistan's state languages in 1956.

After the Language Movement of 1952, the literary community of East Pakistan, particularly the younger generation, embarked on a new creative journey driven by the ideals of non-communalism, modernity, and experimentation with forms. This newfound spirit was reflected in numerous significant publications and literary circles, marking the rise of a new wave in East Pakistan's literary landscape. Munier Chowdhury (1925–1971) was one of the most prominent figures in this movement. In 1952, he was arrested for protesting against police repression and the killing of students on February 21. He remained in detention until 1954, during which time he wrote a one-act play, Kabar (1953), which was staged inside the jail with prisoners playing various parts. Later, he became one of the most influential professors at Dhaka University, leaving a lasting impact on both academia and literature.

Munier Chowdhury delivered a lecture in 1969 on the emerging new wave of Bangla literature in East Pakistan. In his speech, he highlighted key shortcomings of contemporary Bangla literature, including excessive rusticity, suburbanity, localism, and oversimplification. He stressed the need for a shift towards civility, refined knowledge, intellectual depth, and cultural sophistication. Chowdhury acknowledged the significant progress made by young literary figures of the 1960s in this direction, and wholeheartedly welcomed their efforts—particularly praising Kanthaswar, a literary journal edited by Abdullah Abu Sayeed, despite not being a part of their literary circle.

Jibanananda once observed that Bangla language and literature had been in decline in undivided Bengal since the 1940s. However, a counter-development emerged in East Pakistan during the 1960s. The poet of Rupashi Bangla passed away in 1954 and did not witness this literary resurgence in Dhaka, but in his article, he expressed hope for the literary future of Bangla on the eastern front. Despite being under an oppressive regime, East Pakistan experienced a renewed spirit in Bangla language and literature, a phenomenon reflected across various literary forms—a point later emphasised by Munier Chowdhury. Notably, Badruddin Umar argues that the literary vibrancy of the 1960s under Pakistani rule remained unmatched in independent Bangladesh. This suggests that the rise and decline of Bangla language and literature cannot be understood in absolute terms but rather as part of a complex and evolving trajectory.

Priyam Paul is a journalist and researcher.