Bangladesh National Anthem

History of the Bengali Anthem

The national anthem of Bangladesh is called Amar Sonar Bangla. The name of the song has been written using Latin transliteration, as the Bangladeshi alphabet does not mimic the one that is used by western languages to make it easier for reading. The direct translation of the anthem is "My Golden Bengal", which was written in 1905 by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905. Tagore was a polymath, meaning he had experience in many different facets of life which focused on creative expression; writer, poet, philosopher, and painter are just some of his many accolades, including composing the national anthem. The lyrics of the song were sung to the hymn of the famous Bengali song "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare" and later the modern instrumental was adopted in 1972.

Why Was the Song Created?

In 1905, the British Empire had partitioned the land of the Bengalis for the first time into two parts. This was announced at the time, on July 19, and took effect on October 16th, the decision being made by the Viceroy of India. The country was split into East and West, with each side containing those of different faiths; Muslim and Hindu respectively. This was done as a way to keep control over the province and country - and was a similar tactic in the partition of India and Pakistan in much the same way. Many songs were created, sung, and composed at the time, but what is now the national anthem served as a way to raise spirits and unite the country against the tyranny of the British Empire. The above-listed 10 lines of the anthem have been made official, adopted in 1971, initially during the Bangladesh Liberation War.