Why is ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan so powerful?
Nomad Dragonfly
“Joy Bangla” meant hail Bangla or long live Bangla, referring to the land where the Bengali speaking people lived in undivided India. The slogan, first used by our great national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam with the spirit of Bengali nationhood in 1942, became the strongest words against domination and discrimination of the West Pakistani military rulers. The poet wrote, “Bangla is the right of Bengalis, the right of Bengal’s victory, the right of Bengalis’ victory.”
The Dhaka University-based Swadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad published a handwritten newspaper called “Joy Bangla”. The phrase was selected as a slogan of the student organizers in 1969. On March 3, 1970, the Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad organized a rally at Paltan Maidan, where Chhatra League General Secretary Shajahan Siraj unveiled the “Manifesto of Independence” in the presence of the Awami League supremo, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It mentioned that “Joy Bangla” will be the national slogan of Bangladesh.
On June 7, 1970, the Chhatra League decided to form a special force to provide a guard of honor to Bangabandhu. It was named “Joy Bangla Bahini”, headed by ASM Rob.
The slogan was widely used in the 1970 national elections and after the landslide victory of the Awami League, with “Pakistan Zindabad” being replaced by “Joy Bangla”. In the turbulent days of March, Bangabandhu’s historic speech at Paltan Maidan was an indirect proclamation of independence and it inspired the masses as he chanted “Joy Bangla” with the call for a struggle for emancipation. Freedom fighters Belal Mohammad, Major Ziaur Rahman and others who read out the proclamation of independence from the Kalurghat Radio Station on March 26 and 27 on behalf of Bangabandhu ended their statement by chanting “Joy Bangla”.
During the war, the slogan was a key source of inspiration, with a meaning that Bangladesh would be victorious. After the Liberation, its meaning changed to hail Bangladesh or long live Bangladesh.
On March 2, 2022, “Joy Bangla” was made the national slogan. Previously, the Awami League government restored Bangalee nationalism, socialism and secularism through a constitutional reform in 2011. These provisions had been removed by the military rulers that captured power after assassinating Bangabandhu with most of his family members on August 15 and suppressing the Awami League and the “Joy Bangla” slogan, in their attempt to establish a pro-Pakistani state. Military rulers General Zia and his close aide General HM Ershad also allowed religion-based politics to eradicate the secularism and non-communal culture and rehabilitate the collaborators of the Pakistani military engaged in the genocide. The governments under General Ershad, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami also patronized dozens of Islamist extremists, and their complicity in aiding violence against Awami League members and secularists are reported even in recent past.
On the social media, hate campaigns against the Awami League, democracy, secularism and “Joy Bangla” have been gaining popularity significantly since the rise of Hefazat-e-Islam and other radical groups with the 13-point charter, demanding measures to following Shariah guidelines in matters related to the state and society. It should be mentioned that Hefazat indirectly protested the trial of top war criminals linked to Jamaat at that time. Even in 2024 post-Hasina Bangladesh, Jamaat is closely associated with Hefazat and the extremist groups, like al-Qaeda, Islamic State, Laskar-e-Toyeba, Harkatul Jihad al Islami, Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Ansar al-Islam and Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Since 1998, the extremist groups have carried out over 1,500 operations and killed around 1,000 people linked to the Awami League, war crimes trials, cultural activists, teachers and students with secularist views. Interestingly, no leaders or supporters of the BNP-Jamaat have ever been targeted by these extremist groups.
It is believed that this anti-Awami League clique unleashed their student groups to wage a movement and continue street agitations until the fall of Sheikh Hasina. The BNP-Jamaat force attempted to achieved this goal several times from 2013 to 2018, and caused the death of hundreds of people alongside massive destruction to government structures.
In 2018, the anti-quota protests at Dhaka University mainly targeted the freedom fighters’ quota—an ominous sign of conspiracy—while the safe road movement by students in Dhaka was a wake-up call, followed by protests against VAT in private universities and death of BUET student Abrar Fahad.
The slogan “Joy Bangla” was not heard in any of these movements.
The same gang began regrouping before the January 7 election and participated in the demonstrations called by the BNP-led alliance of 70+ parties. And when the High Court gave a ruling on the 2018 order on quota in government jobs, the DU students who had attended the previous movement took to the streets. They threatened to do everything to resist the reinstatement of quota, and even announced to give blood, if needed. In the 36 days of their movement, the camouflaged student coordinators and their supporters across the educational institutions waved the national flag while some held flag bandanas around their forehead. But none chanted the slogan “Joy Bangla”, rather spread hate speech against the Awami League, freedom fighters, Liberation War and India while concealing their political identities.
After capturing power, this interim government and many of its student mob leaders have now revealed their political identities. On the other hand, the political parties—mainly Jamaat and BNP—and extremist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir, JMB, HuJI-B, Ansar al-Islam, Jama’atul, Hefazat and Ahle Hadith are openly claiming responsibility for violence, arson and murder of police.
Some of their online activists, mostly YouTube influencers, rumour makers and bot commenters, have also expressed frustration for not being given due respect (position in government).
In the course of time, after four months, the Yunus-led interim government and his followers among the rowdy students have admitted treachery, conspiracy, sabotage, mob violence and murders. Yet, they are blaming the Awami League for everything while gagging the media so that they do not make it embarrassed by publishing controversial issues like the massacre of the police force, use of 7.62 firearms by student protesters, Shibir and extremists taking shelter in the Awami League etc.
Like the Pakistanis did, this force has cancelled national days recognizing March 7 and November 4, holiday on August 15, and latest, forced the apex court to suspend an order that made “Joy Bangla” a national slogan. While the Chief Adviser has never chanted “Joy Bangla” slogan, he has declared that it is a new Bangladesh where the 2024 uprising is the main spirit. His followers have also demanded a new Constitution, ban on the Awami League and promulgation of the Second Republic, but faced a serious blow. As a consolation and also to pave the way for rehabilitation of Shibir and extremists in the campuses, the Yunus administration has also banned Bangladesh Chhatra League.
But the leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associated bodies have started regrouping online and offline at home and abroad, and are gaining strength by chanting the slogan “Joy Bangla”. Since the court order on the slogan on December 10, Bangladesh has seen massive enthusiasm in writing graffiti of “Joy Bangla” on the walls across country and on social media platforms.
It seems that Bangladesh will overcome this tough time and re-establish a secular and peaceful state free from corruption, crimes and discrimination.