Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told Parliament that Bangladesh will march forward with the spirit of Joy Bangla slogan.
“Today Joy Bangla slogan has got recognition and dignity as our national slogan…. Bangladesh will go forward with the spirit. None can take Bangladesh back anymore,” she said.
She said this in Parliament participating in the general discussion on a motion brought to greet the prime minister and her cabinet for making ‘Joy Bangla’ as the national slogan.
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The House unanimously adopted the congratulatory motion by a voice vote following the general discussion, which was joined by MPs from both treasury and opposition benches.
Hasina also thanked the people of Bangladesh for their support to make Joy Bangla as the national slogan.
“There is no need to thank me here. I personally don’t want anything. I want only one thing that the spirit of the Liberation War would return,” she said.
She said the history of millions of martyrs who shed blood during the Liberation War was wiped out after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.
At that time, the situation of Bangladesh had turned so bad that freedom fighters were suppressed and the history of Liberation was distorted.
“The spirit of the Liberation War and our ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan was destroyed. The name of the Father of the Nation was prohibited. The historic 7th March Speech was banned, but it today gained international recognition,” said the PM.
Noting that now Bangladesh is marching forward, she said, “I would like to tell the people of Bangladesh that only when Awami League came in power, Bangladesh progressed and the common people got developed.”
If the anti-liberation forces are in power, the country will not progress, she added.
Earlier, treasury bench lawmaker Shajahan Khan (Madaripur-2) placed the motion in the House under the section-147 of the rules of procedure.
The motion states, “Parliament is in opinion that on behalf of the Bengali nation, sincere congratulations and thanks should be extended to Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Cabinet for the strong role in fulfilling the long-standing expectation of the nation to declare 'Joy Bangla' as the national slogan through the announcement of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina.”
Awami League lawmakers Amir Hossain Amu, Matia Chowdhury, AKM Mozammel Haque, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Dr Muhammad Adur Razzaque, Anisul Huq, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Major (Retd) Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam, Shajahan Khan, Mostafizur Rahman, Muhammad Faruk Khan, Abdus Shahid and Waseqa Ayesha Khan, Jatiya Party MPs Kazi Firoz Rashid, Mashiur Rahman Ranga and Pir Fazlur Rahman, BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid, Bangladesh Workers Party MP Rashed Khan Menon and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal MP Hasanul Haq Inu participated in the discussion.
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On March 2 last, the government made ‘Joy Bangla’ as the national slogan by issuing a notification from the Cabinet Division.
According to the notification, the persons holding constitutional posts as well as the officials and employees of the government offices, autonomous offices and statutory bodies shall chant the slogan ‘Joy Bangla’ at the end of all national day celebrations and other functions of the state and the government.
The Cabinet on February 20, 2022 decided to make the main war cry during the 1971 Liberation War as the national slogan as per a High Court’s directive issued in March, 2020.
Bangabandhu concluded his historic 7th March speech chanting ‘Joy Bangla’ in 1971. Freedom Fighters made the supreme sacrifices shouting ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan during the 1971 Liberation War.