Amar Sonar Bangla

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox anthem Template:Contains special characters "Template:Translit" (Template:Langx, Template:IPA) is the national anthem of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An ode to Mother Bengal, the lyrics were written by Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore in the context of the First Partition of Bengal. It was adopted as the national anthem by the Provisional Government of Bangladesh in 1971.

Etymology

The word Template:Translit refers to the possessive first-person singular Template:Gloss or Template:Gloss; the word Template:Translit is the adjectival form of the root word Template:Translit, meaning Template:Gloss; and the word Template:Translit, which literally translates as Template:Gloss or Template:Gloss, is used as a term of endearment meaning Template:Gloss, but in the song, the words Template:Transliteration may be interpreted to express the preciousness of Bengal.Template:Fact

History

Rabindranath Tagore, writer of the song in 1905

The song was written by Rabindranath Tagore in the context of the First Partition of Bengal, while the melody is derived from Baul singer Gagan Harkara's "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare", set to Dadra tala.<ref>Folk singer, Swapan Basu, demonstrates the similarity in a live recitation (0:43/8:46 to 1:21/8:46)</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The partition occurred in 1905 when the ruling British Empire had an undivided province of Bengal Presidency split into two parts; the decision was announced on 20 July by the then-Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, taking effect on 16 October. This divide of Bengal, being along communal lines–East Bengal and Assam having a majority of Muslims and West Bengal having a majority of Hindus–is claimed to have been politically motivated. Along with a host of others, songs such as this were meant to rekindle the unified spirit of Bengal and to raise public consciousness against the communal political divide.

The actual date of the song's composition is disputed, because the original manuscript of the song was never found. Prashanta Kumar Paul, in his biography on Rabindranath Tagore Rabi Jibani, claimed that the song was first sung on 25 August 1905 in an essay conference at Kolkata.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="bbc">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The lyrics first appeared in public in the September issues of Bongodorshon and Baul simultaneously in 1905. The song, along with the musical notation (referred to as Template:Transliteration in Bengali), first appeared in the periodical musical journal Shongeet Biggnan Probeshika in the same month and year. Indira Devi, Tagore's niece, Satyendranath Tagore's daughter, jotted down the musical notation, hearing it from Tagore himself (this was the common norm, Tagore singing the song, and someone formally jotting down the musical notations).Template:Fact

Official adaption

The first ten lines of the original poem constitute the most commonly sung version of Bangladesh's national anthem, adopted in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The instrumental orchestra rendition was composed by Samar Das.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="bbc" /> During the drafting of the Constitution of Bangladesh in 1972, two songs were proposed for the national anthem of the country, the "Amar Sonar Bangla" and "Dhana Dhanya Pushpa Bhara" by Dwijendra Lal Roy. At the end, Amar Sonar Bangla was selected.<ref name="jugantor0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Lyrics

File:Amar Sonar Bangla - from Millions singing national anthem.oga

The following provides the lyrics of Template:Transliteration as written by Rabindranath Tagore. Only the first ten bolded lines of the original lyrics are sung as Bangladesh's national anthem.

Bengali original<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Romanisation (ISO 15919)	IPA transcriptionTemplate:Efn
<poem>Template:Lang</poem>	<poem>Template:Transliteration</poem>	<poem>Template:IPA</poem>

English translation

The anthem was translated into English by Syed Ali Ahsan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Center

Criticism

According to Ziauddin Ahmed, the song as the national anthem is facing criticism at least since 1975.<ref name="sangbad">Template:Cite web</ref> Among the earliest open opponents to the song include Islamic Democratic League MP Abdur Rahim and Vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka Prof. Aftab Ahmed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Historical context

The song was composed during First Partition of Bengal, which many Bengali Muslims of Eastern Bengal (the territory of which mostly form the modern-day Bangladesh) had welcomed and endorsed. Supporters of the Partition oppose the song as the national anthem of Bangladesh, as the song itself was composed in a context of opposition to a separate East Bengal that would eventually become Bangladesh in future.

Islamist and anti-Hindutva opposition

The song often face Islamist opposition in the country. They claim that the word "mother" used in the song refers to Hindu goddess, and Rabindranath Tagore addressed the country a "motherly goddess".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many Qawmi Madrassa teachers consider singing the song as shirq and remain silent during anthem presentation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

British Bangladeshi anti-extremism advocate Mufassil Islam criticized the song as the national anthem from an anti-Hindutva perspective, calling Rabindranath Tagore a "Hindutwa fanatic".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Others

In her book Bengal Divided (1995), Indian author Jaya Chatterjee claimed that the song Amar Sonar Bangla doesn't have the enough breath that is needed to develop national consciousness being a national anthem.<ref name="jugantor0" />

Major controversies

In 2018, the government made compulsory for all madrassas to sing national anthem. Three years later, the government instructed the vocational and the madrassa division to strictly implement the rule.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These moves faced heavy criticism and protests from the madrassa teachers and students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2018, Bangladeshi singer Mainul Ahsan Nobel, who was a runner-up in the Indian-Bengali musical show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla, said that Prince Mahmud's song "Bangladesh" depicted the beauty of Bangladesh far better than Amar Sonar Bangla.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="jugantor2"/> This remark sparked controversy among Bangladeshis. Later, he apologized for his remark.<ref name="jugantor2">Template:Cite news</ref>

In October 2020, a scholar from a local madrasa in Kushtia sang an Islamic song in the melody of Amar Sonar Bangla, which faced criticism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In September 2024, Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, retired brigadier general of the Bangladesh Army and son of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Ghulam Azam, who held a press conference after his release from the Aynaghar, called for a replacement of Amar Sonar Bangla, claiming that the Indian government had forced the Provisional Government of Bangladesh to adopt the song. He also argued that Amar Sonar Bangla contradicted with the characteristics of Bangladesh, as the song was composed in the context of the partition of Bengal to unite the two Bengals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This remark sparked controversy on historical context and the significance of the anthem across the country.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Liberal Democratic Party leader Col. (retd.) Oli Ahmed endorsed Azmi's remarks, citing three reasons–the song isn't about Bangladesh, the song wasn't written by a Bangladeshi citizen, and melody of the song was copied.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2025, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Assam unit criticized the Indian National Congress politician Bidhu Bhushan Das for singing Amar Sonar Bangla in a political conference in Karimganj, India. Although Das himself claimed that he had only sung the song as a Rabindra Sangeet, the BJP slammed him for carrying a "vote-bank-agenda" by promoting "Greater Bangladesh".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Even the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered action against Das.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This resulted in protest in Bangladesh against anti-Bengali sentiment in India.<ref>https://www.somoynews.tv/news/2025-11-04/7J6wuGU6</ref>

Alternative proposals

Dhana Dhanya Pushpa Bhara

Dwijendra Lal Roy's patriotic song "Dhana Dhanya Pushpa Bhara", which was also composed during First Partition of Bengal, was one of the two proposals for national anthem following the Independence of Bangladesh, but eventually dropped in favour of Amar Sonar Bangla.<ref name="jugantor0" />

Notuner Gaan

Kazi Nazrul Islam's song "Notuner Gaan" is the national march of Bangladesh. In 1975, after the 15 August coup, then President Khondaker Mostaq Ahmed set up a committee for the replacement of the anthem. The song was one of two songs that were recommended by the committee.<ref name="jugantor1">Template:Cite news</ref> However, the process was halted after his removal.

Panjeri

Farrukh Ahmed's "Panjeri" was the other song that was proposed for the national anthem under Mostaq Ahmed.<ref name="jugantor1" />

Prothom Bangladesh

In 1979, in a letter sent to the Cabinet Division, then Prime Minister Shah Azizur Rahman argued that Amar Sonar Bangla was "contradictory to the national identity and the culture of Bangladeshis" as it was written by a person who had a non-Bangladeshi background, and proposed Shahnaz Rahmatullah's patriotic song "Prothom Bangladesh" for the national anthem.<ref name="jugantor1"/> During the presidency of Ziaur Rahman, the song was played after Amar Sonar Bangla on the national television and the government programmes.<ref name="jugantor1"/> However, the initiative stopped after the death of Rahman in 1981. Today, Prothom Bangladesh is the party anthem of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Lyrical amendment

In 2002, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and government minister Motiur Rahman Nizami proposed an amendment to the lyrics of Amar Sonar Bangla, citing Islamic values and spirit. However, the Cabinet Division did not accept the proposal.<ref name="jugantor1"/>

Notable performances and covers

File:Amar Sonar Bangla.webm The Ministry of Cultural Affairs planned to stage an event on Bangladesh's 44th independence day in a bid to have the world record for the most people singing a national anthem simultaneously. Consequently, on 2 March, the ministry launched a program titled Lakho Konthe Sonar Bangla (Template:Lit) whose main objective was to hold an event with the cooperation of the Bangladesh Armed Forces where approximately 300,000 people would sing the national anthem.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several popular Bangladeshi musicians and cultural groups later joined the program.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The record was broken at 11:20 on 26 March 2014 by 254,537 participants at Dhaka's National Parade Ground. The event was attended by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, and all the members of the cabinet.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After receiving the required evidence, the Guinness Book of World Records approved the record on 9 April 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The record was broken by India on 21 January 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Music of Bangladesh
• Music of Bengal
• "Jana Gana Mana", national anthem of India, also written by Rabindranath Tagore
• "Banglar Mati Banglar Jol", the state anthem of the Indian state of West Bengal, also written by Rabindranath Tagore
• "Sri Lanka Matha", national anthem of Sri Lanka, claimed to have been written by Rabindranath Tagore
• "Torana-i-Pakistan", anthem of East Pakistan, written by Golam Mostofa
• Bengali nationalism

External links

• Template:Wikisource-inline