1. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 after 9 months of war and the loss of 3 million lives. 2. In 1952, students at Dhaka University protested against making Urdu the sole national language instead of Bengali. Police opened fire, killing several protesters who became martyrs for the movement. 3. Bangladesh has a rich political history from British rule to its emergence as an independent nation in 1971 after fighting for independence from Pakistan due to discrimination faced by East Pakistanis.