‘Joy Bangla’: The making of a people’s slogan

"Joy Bangla" was never just a political slogan.

The two words, which translate to "Victory to Bangla", were the symbol of spirit, unity, patriotism and aspiration in shaping the destiny of the Bangalees.

The iconic slogan played an integral role in the freedom-loving Bangalees' fight against the blatant exploitation, injustice and discrimination of the West Pakistan rulers.

It consequently helped accelerate the birth of Bangladesh, which proudly observes its 54th Independence Day today.

Although "Joy Bangla" became the slogan of the masses in the late 1960s and was the battle cry during the 1971 Liberation War, its etymology goes back over a century, according to historical documents.

In 1922, when the nationalist movement against the colonial British rulers was raging in India, Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam coined the words in a poem named "Purna Abhinandan".

Nazrul, who was later named Bangladesh's national poet, wrote it when he was in jail in Baharampur, now a municipality in India's West Bengal.

The theme of the poem was to wage a rebellion against colonialism, foreign oppression and exploitation, and the words "Joy Bangla", though used slightly differently, appeared in the fifth stanza:"Joy Banglar Purnachandra, joy joy adi ontorin, joy jugey jugey asa senapoti, joy pran adi-antohin!"

The poem was dedicated to anti-British hero Purnachandra Das, a school teacher from Madaripur, who was Nazrul's prison mate.   

After Purnachandra was released from Baharampur jail and a reception was organised in Madaripur to mark his release, Kalipada Roychowdhury, who was also Nazrul' prison mate, requested the poet to write something about Purnachandra.

The poem was later published in his book of poetry "Bhangar Gan" in 1924.

Nazrul was released from jail on December 15, 1923.

The Rebel Poet later wrote an essay titled "Bangaleer Bangla" in Nabajug, a single-page evening daily published from Kolkata.

In the essay, published in April, 1942 (3rd Boishakh, 1349), the poet urged the Bangalees to rise and build resistance against British rule.

The poet wrote: "Bangla Bangaleer hok, Banglar Joy hok, Bangaleer Joy hok". (Let Bangla be for the Bangalees! Let Bangla be victorious! Let the Bangalees become victorious!)

The anti-colonial movement across the Indian sub-continent eventually ended the 200 years of British rule on August 14, 1947, with the creation of two independent nations: India and Pakistan (comprising West and East Pakistan).

But as freedom remained elusive for the Bangalees under the new rulers of West Pakistan, "Joy Bangla" slowly but surely reemerged as a defining slogan.

The Shadhin Bangla Nucleus, founded in 1962, brought "Joy Bangla" to the fore by chanting it as a slogan. Meanwhile, Swadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad, a Dhaka University-based secret students' group, used to publish a handwritten news outlet named "Joy Bangla". (Swadhinota Soshostro Songram Ebong Agamir Bangladesh by Sirajul Alam Khan)

On September 15, 1969, during a Sharbadaliya Chhatra Sangram Parishad meeting at Dhaka University's Madhur Canteen, two members of the Shadhin Bangla Nucleus -- Aftab Uddin Ahmed and Chisti Shah Helalur Rahman -- chanted "Joy Bangla".

Aftab was a Chhatra League leader and a first-year student of the political science department while Chisti was a Chhatra League central committee member and a philosophy student.

Aftab's act of chanting "Joy Bangla" had its own background story.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, accompanied by Chhatra League leader Abdur Rauf, had visited West Pakistan after being freed from the Agartala Conspiracy Case on February 22, 1969.

After returning, Rauf shared his experience of the visit with others at Madhur Canteen. He said there was a movement going on in Sindh under the leadership of GM Syed and the main slogan was "Jai Sindh".

At one point of the discussion, Aftab said they could also use "Joy Bangla". He then chanted it himself at Madhur Canteen on Septmeber 15. (Slogane Slogane Rajniti: Abu Sayeed Khan)

With this, "Joy Bangla" began gaining momentum.

On January 4, 1970, students chanted it at a rally marking the founding anniversary of Chhatra League, where the then Awami League leader Syed Nazrul Islam was the chief guest.

Two weeks later on January 18, the words "Joy Bangla" took over an entire Awami League rally at Paltan Maidan, presided over by the architect of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Sirajul Alam Khan, who conducted the rally, repeatedly chanted the slogan from the dais. (Sirajul Alam Khan; Swadhinota Soshostro Songram Ebong Agamir Bangladesh: edited by Shakhawat Hossain)

On March 3, Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad organised another rally at Paltan Maidan, where Chhatra League general secretary Shajahan Siraj unveiled the "Swadhinatar Ishtehar" (Manifesto of Independence) in the presence of Bangabandhu.

The manifesto mentioned that "Joy Bangla" would from then on be the national slogan of Bangladesh.

Leaflets distributed afterwards were titled "Swadhinatar Ishtehar: Joy Bangla". (Protinayak Serajul Alam Khan: Mohiuddin Ahmad)

On June 7, 1970, Chhatra League decided to forge a special force to accord the guard of honour to Bangabandhu; it was named "Joy Bangla Bahini", with ASM Rob as its chief. (Bangalir Jatio Rastro: Kazi Aref Ahmed)

Meanwhile, ahead of the 1970 national election, all the members of Swadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad were asked to take to the streets before 1970 general election and the cyclostyle paper "Joy Bangla" was published to spread directives among all the parishad members.

As the election drew closer, "Joy Bangla" was being chanted everywhere, replacing "Pakistan Zindabad".

The slogan was at its peak when Bangabandhu rounded off his 19-minute epic speech with the words "Joy Bangla" on March 7, 1971, at the Race Course Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan. Hearing it, the sea of attendees roared with an innate zeal.

After the formation of the Mujibnagar Government on April 10, 1971, Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed ended his first radio speech on Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra with the words "Joy Bangla, Joy Swadhin Bangladesh". It was aired on the radio the next day.

"Joy Bangla" became the battle cry during the nine-month Liberation War, culminating in victory on December 16, 1971.

"Joy Bangla", on March 2, 2022, was made the national slogan by the Awami League government and it became mandatory to utter the two words, steeped in history, at all government offices during national celebrations.