Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Monday that her government has made 'Joy Bangla' as the national slogan of Bangladesh to send a message to the world people that the Bangalees wouldn't bow down their heads, describing the slogan as an element of achieving everything that included the country's independence.
"We want to send a message to the world's people through making the Joy Bangla slogan as the national slogan of Bangladesh that we are a victorious nation; we have achieved victory. We don't bow our heads down and we won’t do that," she said.
She said this while opening the Joy Bangla festival as the chief guest organised by Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) marking the "Joy Bangla (Victory of Bengal)" slogan as a national slogan of Bangladesh in the capital this evening.
Joining virtually the programme from her official residence Ganabhaban, the prime minister also said that the Joy Bangla slogan is the slogan of the struggle for independence and Liberation War, achieving everything and for self-sacrifice.
"We have achieved victory during the War of Liberation in 1971 through the slogan," she said.
The prime minister also unveiled a book titled “Muktidata Sheikh Mujib” and launched seven patriotic songs at the programme.
On February 20, the Cabinet Division decided to make Joy Bangla as the national slogan of Bangladesh while the government issued a notification to this end on March 2.
PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman spoke on the occasion as the special guest while Chairman of the BAB and the EXIM Bank Ltd Md Nazrul Islam Mazumder gave a welcome address.
