Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan

Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan
জাতীয় বাংলা সম্মেলন
Formation	9 December 2019
Founders	Siddhabrata Das, Anirban Bandyopadhyay
Type	Socio-political organisation
Location	Kolkata, West Bengal, India;
Official language	Bengali
Working President	Anirban Bandyopadhyay

Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; lit. National Bengali Conference) is a socio-cultural and linguistic organisation based in West Bengal, India. It was founded in December 2019 by dissident members of the Bengali rights group Bangla Pokkho, with a vision to promote linguistic democracy, secular civic nationalism, and cultural inclusivity.

History[edit | edit source]

Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan was launched on 9 December 2019 at the Kolkata Press Club.^[1] Former Bangla Pokkho leaders including Siddhabrata Das and Anirban Bandyopadhyay established the group after being expelled from the parent organisation. The founders cited ideological differences, especially related to sectarian influences in Bangla Pokkho's approach.

According to Anirban Bandyopadhyay, the Sammelan seeks to resist the growth of "Hindutvavadi Bònggali" politics and focus on inclusive, people-centric campaigns grounded in Bengali linguistic rights.^[2]

Ideology[edit | edit source]

The group's founding charter includes 40 key points advocating:

Use of Bengali as the primary language in banks, railways, courts, and postal services in West Bengal.
Bengali-medium education and compulsory use of Bengali in signage.
Resistance to CAA-NRC policies.
Unity among linguistic and cultural minorities in the eastern region of India.

Leadership[edit | edit source]

The initial leadership included:

Anirban Bandyopadhyay – Working President
Tanny Das – Working Vice President
Siddhabrata Das – Working General Secretary

Activities[edit | edit source]

Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan has undertaken:

Deputations to the Postal Department and nationalised banks for enforcing Bengali signage and service.^[3]
District and rural conferences raising awareness about linguistic rights and environmental justice.
Protests and social campaigns against NRC and CAA.^[4]
Participation in civil society meetings, cultural events, and solidarity programs with other marginalised language communities.^[5]

Logo and Flag[edit | edit source]

The organisation uses a blue-and-white logo featuring the Bengali letter "Ja" (জ) stylised as a cultural symbol. The flag typically displays:

A white background
The logo at the centre
A blue border representing peace and regional unity

Position in Bengali Language Movement[edit | edit source]

Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan aligns itself with:

The legacy of the 1952 Bengali Language Movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
The 1961 Barak Valley movement in Assam
Contemporary Bengali rights advocacy in West Bengal and Tripura

Relationship with Bangla Pokkho[edit | edit source]

The split was seen as both ideological and structural. While Bangla Pokkho was known for aggressive campaigns, the Sammelan framed itself as a civic-focused, secular alternative. Media reports highlighted this internal split as indicative of broader ideological fissures in Bengali subnationalism.^[2]

Reception[edit | edit source]

The formation of Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan was reported in multiple Bengali and English-language media outlets. Commentators have noted its efforts to create a softer, civil-society-driven form of Bengali activism.^[1]^[6]^[5]