Lawmakers on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the Jatiya Sangsad for recognizing ‘joy bangla’ as a national slogan as the slogan had unanimously encouraged the people in struggling for independence in 1971 led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The thanks giving proposal to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her initiative to recognize ‘joy bangla’, as a national slogan came in a discussion and was unanimously adopted, raised formally by treasury bench lawmaker Shahjahan Khan of Madaripur –2 in the House under section 147 of the rules of procedure with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Joy bangla slogan chanted by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 7 in 1971 –which had been motivated people of all strata to an armed nation for making the country independence from the Pakistani occupation forces.
Pressing on the proposal, Shahjahan Khan MP said the ‘joy bangla’ slogan inspired the people to participate in the war of independence as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in his declaration of independence chanted ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan on March 7, 1971.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should be congratulated as she had recognized the much inspired slogan as a national slogan, he said.
Terming joy bangla slogan as the inspiration of independence, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made the nation free from stigma as she has made it a national slogan.
‘Joy Bangla’ slogan is a manifestation of the political spirit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, said Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) lawmaker Hasanul Huq Inu.
Opposing the proposal of ‘Joy Bangla’ as a national slogan, BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj-2 said the recognition of this particular slogan will create a division among the political parties in the country.
Terming Sheikh Hasina as like father like daughter, senor ruling party lawmaker Matia Chowdhury of Sherpur-2 said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has implemented the joy bangla as the national slogan and helped to recall us the memory of the independence.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the only authority who gave all the instructions during the independence, said veteran ruling party lawmaker Amir Hossain Amu of Jhalokhathi-2, adding “the ‘Joy Bangla’ was the only slogan which had motivated the freedom fighters, so the slogan is beyond any question.”
The lawmaker also thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for implementing a non-communal spirit in the country.
Participating in the discussion, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim of Gopalganj-2 said ‘Joy Bangla’ was completely a slogan for the whole nation during the independence and it was launched by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He urged all not to distort the history of Bangladesh.
The treasury and opposition lawmakers including Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, Major (retd) Rafiqul Islam, Colonel (retd) Faruque Khan, Wasika Ayesha Khan, Farida Khanom, Abdus Shahid of Moulvibazar-4, Chief Whip of the Opposition Mahiur Rahman Ranga, Pir Fazlur Rahman of Sunamganj-4, Kazi Feroz Rashid of Dhaka-6 and Rashed Khan Menon of Dhaka-8, among others, took part in the discussion.
Winding up the discussion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said “I don’t want thanks, but I want to establish accurate history of the Independence, adding that “the declaration of independence was concluded with ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan...and then it became the slogan of the liberation war.”
On February 20, 2022, the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina decided ‘Joy Bangla’ as the national slogan for Bangladesh.
Joy Bangla, a Bangla expression, means ‘Victory to Bengal’.
The slogan has been made mandatory for concluding programmes and speeches at all government and non-government organisations and educational institutions.
All employees of the state must utter Joy Bangla at the end of their speeches in state programmes, according to the decision taken in the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on that day.
‘The cabinet has decided to make Joy Bangla the national slogan pursuant to a High Court verdict delivered in 2020 in this regard. The Cabinet Division will issue a notification in this regard.
The national slogan Joy Bangla would be pronounced mandatorily during all programmes at government and non-government ogranisations as well as educational institutions, including madrassahs.
The slogan would be mandatory for all employees of the state as well as teachers and students of all educational institutions.
The High Court on March 10, 2020 declared Joy Bangla as the national slogan.
The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader in a directive said that Joy Bangla would be the national slogan of Bangladesh.
The court also said that the respondents concerned should take appropriate measures to ensure that all the constitutional post-holders and all the state officials use the slogan on all national days and also at the end of their speeches in state programmes.
The directive also said that the government must take appropriate measures to ensure that the students of all educational institutions intone Joy Bangla at the end of assemblies.
In his historic March 7 speech in 1971, Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman asked the people of erstwhile East Pakistan to launch an all-out campaign of civil disobedience and organise an armed resistance at a mass gathering at the Race Course Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka.
He shouted Joy Bangla to conclude his speech after proclaiming,‘Ebarer sangram amader muktir sangram, ebarer sangram swadhinatar sangram. Joy Bangla! [The struggle this time is for our emancipation, the struggle this time is for independence. Joy Bangla!].’