Muhammad Shahidullah, Munier Chowdhury, Hasan Hafizur Rahman, Jahir Raihan, among others, contributed significantly in theorizing, participating and making narratives of Language movement. Muhammad Abdul Hye, Sanjida Khatun along with the teachers and students of the department led the cultural politics of 1960s. In our Liberation War, the reputed faculty members of the department namely Munier Chowdhury, Mofajjol Haider Chowdhury, and Anowar Pasha were martyred. Anisuzzaman served as a member of the Planning Commission of the Wartime Temporary Government of Bangladesh, and later, he played pivotal roles in translating into Bangla the constitution of Bangladesh. Hasan Hafizur Rahman shouldered the responsibility of the editor for the project of anthologizing the documents of the War of Independence. Jahanara Imam was the convenor of the Ghatok Dalal Nirmul Committee (committee for uprooting the killers and collaborators).
The incumbent Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the President of Bangladesh Awami League was a student of the department. Prominent political figures namely Fazlul Haque Moni, Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma (Santu Larma), A. S. M. Abdur Rob are the alumni of the department of Bangla. At least two of the alumni became Professor Emeritus, while four became national professors. Besides, many alumni served as Vice-Chancellors of Universities, director general of Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy and National Museum, chairman of the Public Service Commission and advisors to or ministers of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
In the field of research, creativity and intellectual activities M. M. Haraprasad Shastri, Muhammad Shahidullah, Mohit Lal Majumder, Jasimuddin, Syed Ali Ahsan, Muhammad Abdul Hye, Munier Chowdhury, Muhammad Enamul Haque, Ahmad Shorif, Muhammad Mansuruddin, Anisuzzaman, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal, Noren Biswas, Syed Akrom Hossain, Humayun Azad, Abu Bakar Siddique, Ghulam Murshid, Alauddin Al-Azad, Selim Al Din, Jahir Raihan, Shawkat Ali, Abdullah Abu Sayeed, Akteruzzaman Elias, Abdul Mannan Syed, Rafique Azad, Rudro Muhammad Shahidullah and many others earned remarkable fame in home and abroad.
Till date, Department of Bangla alumni include at least 18 recipients of Swadhinata Puraskar (Independence Award), 48 recipients of Ekushey Padak and another 52 Recipients of Bangla Academy Shahitya Puraskar (Bangla Academy Literary Award).