"Joy Bangla," popularized by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is no longer recognized as the national slogan of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Supreme Court has suspended a High Court judgment that had declared “Joy Bangla” as the national slogan of the country. 

The slogan, popularized by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, gained prominence during his leadership. Sheikh Hasina was removed from office on August 5 this year following widespread protests against her administration.

After the government transition, the state moved to challenge the High Court’s ruling and filed a leave-to-appeal petition with the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the March 10, 2020 verdict, according to the Press Trust of India.

On Tuesday, December 10, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, ruled that the judiciary cannot intervene in the matter as determining a national slogan falls under the purview of government policy decisions.

“With this order from the Appellate Division, ‘Joy Bangla’ will no longer be considered the national slogan,” stated Additional Attorney General Aneek R. Haque, who represented the government during the hearing.