Prothom Bangladesh Explained

Prothom Bangladesh
Type:song
Artist:Shahnaz Rahmatullah
Language:Bengali
Released:Late 1970s
Genre:Patriotic
Length:3:40
Composer:Alauddin Ali
Producer:Bangladesh Television

"Prothom Bangladesh" (bn|প্রথম বাংলাদেশ|lit=The First Bangladesh) is a patriotic song by Shahnaz Rahmatullah.[1] Moniruzzaman Monir wrote and Alauddin Ali composed the song. The song was first broadcast in a TV program on Bangladesh Television in the late 1970s.[2] It's the party anthem of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Journalist Azizul Islam Bhuiya claimed that on 12 December 1978, when the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf asked the party founder and president Ziaur Rahman in a session to change the national flag, he replied with assurance that he would think about it after changing the a Hindu-written national anthem of the country, "Amar Sonar Bangla". At the time he mentioned the song as the new national anthem.[3] On 30 April 1979, Shah Azizur Rahman, then-Prime Minister of Bangladesh, sent a secret letter to the Cabinet Division, which stated that the national anthem of Bangladesh was contradictory with the spirit of the culture of Bangladesh, as the writer of the anthem, Rabindranath Tagore, was not a citizen of Bangladesh and was the writer of "Jana Gana Mana", national anthem of India. He instead proposed this song as the new national anthem.[4] After receiving this letter from the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Division issued instructions to broadcast the song on radio, television and all government programs. Meanwhile, the proposed national anthem song started singing along with Amar Sonar Bangla at the Presidential functions. But the initiative stalled after Zia was assassinated in 1981.[5] Around the 1980s, the song was announced as the official anthem of Zia's party BNP. However in 2018, the singer Shahnaz Rahmatullah and composer Alauddin Ali claimed that the party is using the song as the official anthem without their permission.[6] In 2016, Bangladesh Betar fired 6 employees for broadcasting the song during the 2016–2017 budget session of the Jatiya Sangsad.[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Molla . Mohammad Al-Masum . What more can the world expect from a Singer? . The Daily Star . 29 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230620093935/https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/news/what-more-can-the-world-expect-singer-1721677 . 20 June 2023 . en.
  2. Web site: https://bangla.bdnews24.com/glitz/article1512837.bdnews. bn:গানের কোথাও 'বিএনপি' শব্দ আনিনি: মনিরুজ্জামান মনির. I did not bring the word 'BNP' anywhere in the song: Moniruzzaman Monir. bn. Saimum. Saad. 30 June 2018. 29 May 2024. Bdnews24.com. 30 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180630121645/https://bangla.bdnews24.com/glitz/article1512837.bdnews. live.
  3. Book: Bhuiya, Azizul Islam. বিএনপি ও সাম্প্রদায়িক রাজনীতি. bn. 13. Srabon Prokashoni. 2007.
  4. News: https://www.jugantor.com/national/207858/%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%87-%E0%A7%A9-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A7%9F-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%97-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9B%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2. bn:যে ৩ সময়ে 'জাতীয় সংগীত' পরিবর্তনের উদ্যোগ নেয়া হয়েছিল. During which 3 initiatives were taken to change the 'National Anthem'. bn. 7 August 2019. 29 May 2024. Jugantor. 18 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231118113926/https://www.jugantor.com/national/207858/%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%87-%E0%A7%A9-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%80%E0%A7%9F-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%97-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9B%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2. live.
  5. Web site: https://eisamay.com/entertainment/tv-news/not-onlt-noble-many-noted-public-figures-voiced-their-opinion-to-replace-sonar-bangla-penned-by-rabindranath-tagore-as-the-national-song-of-bangladesh-in-the-past/articleshow/70537992.cms. bn:আগেও 'সোনার বাংলা' বদলাতে চেয়েছেন অনেক বড় বড় নাম, তবে ঝড় তুলেছেন নোবেলই!. Earlier, many big names wanted to change 'Golden Bangla', but it was Nobel who raised a storm!. bn. 5 August 2019. 29 May 2024. Ei Samay Sangbadpatra. 19 January 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240119152457/https://eisamay.com/entertainment/tv-news/not-onlt-noble-many-noted-public-figures-voiced-their-opinion-to-replace-sonar-bangla-penned-by-rabindranath-tagore-as-the-national-song-of-bangladesh-in-the-past/articleshow/70537992.cms. live.
  6. Web site: https://bangla.bdnews24.com/glitz/article1509542.bdnews. bn:'প্রথম বাংলাদেশ' কীভাবে বিএনপির দলীয় সংগীত, প্রশ্ন শিল্পী-সুরকারের. How is 'Prothom Bangladesh' becomes the party anthem of BNP, the question of the artist-composer. bn. Saimum. Saad. 22 June 2018. 29 May 2024. Bdnews24.com. 25 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190325030315/https://bangla.bdnews24.com/glitz/article1509542.bdnews. live.
  7. News: https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E2%80%98%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6%E2%80%99-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%96%E0%A7%87-%E0%A7%A7%E0%A7%AC. bn:'প্রথম বাংলাদেশ' গান বাজিয়ে শাস্তির মুখে ১৬ কর্মকর্তা-কর্মচারী. 16 officers-employees face punishment for playing 'Prothom Bangladesh' song. bn. 5 June 2016. 24 October 2024. Prothom Alo.