Bangladesh, which has been reeling under political instability for about two months saw fresh outrage over its national anthem this week. The row started after a former military officer, Ghulam Azam demanded on Tuesday to change the national anthem calling it "incompatible" with the spirit of independence.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the country's constitution.
Widespread discussion and criticism followed soon with activists organising mass recitals of the 'Amar Shonar Bangla' national anthem to oppose the demand, reported Dhaka Tribune.
Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi organised a nationwide event on Friday where people sang the national anthem at the same time across the country. The national flag was also hoisted during the event and patriotic songs were sung alongside the anthem.
The central event was held in front of the National Press Club in the capital Dhaka, where pedestrians joined the artists. Members from other organisations along with media artists also participated in the event.
The event in Dhaka began with opening remarks by Udichi’s central committee president Badiur Rahman who said that the proposal to change the national anthem was a conspiracy by the defeated forces of 1971.
Following protests, the country's Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain clarified on Saturday that there were no plans to change the national anthem. “The interim government will not do anything to create controversy,” Hossain told journalists.
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How ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’ Became Bangladesh's National Anthem
The national anthem of Bangladesh, "Amar Sonar Bangla", was officially adopted on January 13, 1972, following the country's independence from Pakistan in 1971. Renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore, who is the creator of India's national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' too, originally wrote the song in 1905, when the ruling British under then-Viceroy Lord Curzon divided the Bengal Presidency into two parts. The song was a part of the movement against this Partition, which was eventually annulled in 1911.
The song lost its essence and significance four decades later when Bengal saw a bigger Partition — being divided again, this time into two provinces that became parts of two different countries altogether. However, when Bangladesh finally became an independent country in 1971, 'Amar Sonar Bangla' was accorded the status of its national anthem. Initially adopted during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the song was officially recognised by the government of the independent country in 1972.
Like in the case of 'Jana Gana Mana' in India, only a part of the full 'Amar Sonar Bangla' song — the first 10 lines of the original song — forms the national anthem of Bangladesh.