Joy Bangla: It’s now official

The government yesterday issued a gazette notification making chanting "Joy Bangla" slogan mandatory during all government programmes.

According to the notification, constitutional post holders, officials and staffers of autonomous, statutory and all government offices at home and abroad will have to chant the slogan after their speeches in observation of all national days and other state and government programmes.

After daily assemblies at educational institutions, teachers and students will have to say "Joy Bangla". They have to do it at rallies and seminars as well.

On February 22, the cabinet approved "Joy Bangla" as the national slogan.

The slogan, which translates as "Victory to Bengal", was not merely a political one, but a sign of commitment to the motherland and a symbol of national spirit and patriotism.

Historians said during the mass upsurge in January 1969, students under the banner of Sarbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad (All Student Parties Resistance Council) started chanting "Joy Bangla" instead of "Pakistan Zindabad".

The slogan helped Bangladeshis unite and fight against the Pakistani regime.

According to The Indian Express, this slogan was first used during anti-British movement. Anti-British hero Purnachandra Das, a schoolteacher from Madaripur, was imprisoned and tortured by British rulers for his anti-British movement.

National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam composed the poem "Purna Abhinandan" in 1922 upon a request from Kalipada Roychowdhury on the occasion of the release of Purnachandra Das. The poem mentioned "Joy Bangla".

The main theme of the poem was rebellion against colonialism, oppression and exploitation.