BJP Cries Foul After Bangladesh National Anthem Sung At Congress Event In Assam — Here's Why It Shouldn't Be Controversial
The controversy began after a district-level Congress functionary sang 'Amar Sonar Bangla' at a local meeting in Sribhumi, previously known as Karimganj, which borders Bangladesh.
BJP Cries Foul After Bangladesh National Anthem Sung At Congress Event In Assam — Here's Why It Shouldn't Be Controversial | X
Assam: A video of a Congress leader singing 'Amar Sonar Bangla', Bangladesh’s national anthem, at a party event in Assam’s Sribhumi district drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the opposition party of being “Bangladesh-obsessed.”
However, Congress has not yet issued a statement in response.
BJP slams Congress over anthem row
The controversy began after a district-level Congress functionary sang 'Amar Sonar Bangla' at a local meeting in Sribhumi, previously known as Karimganj, which borders Bangladesh. The BJP’s Assam unit shared the video on social media, linking it to a recent row over a Bangladesh map depicting large parts of Northeast India as its own.
“The signs couldn’t be louder. Just days ago, Bangladesh dared to publish a map swallowing the entire Northeast and now the Bangladesh-obsessed Congress is proudly singing Bangladesh’s national anthem right here in Assam,” the party's Assam unit said on X.
Assam minister Ashok Singhal also criticised the incident, writing, “Bangladesh's national anthem 'Amar Sonar Bangla' sung at a Congress meeting in Sribhumi, Assam – the same country that wants to separate the Northeast from India.” He alleged that the Congress had, for decades, “allowed and encouraged illegal Miya infiltration into Assam” to alter the state’s demography for electoral gain.
Here's why the anthem is not 'out of place' in Assam
Despite the political furore, 'Amar Sonar Bangla' has deep historical and cultural roots that extend far beyond Bangladesh’s borders. The song, written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905, was composed as a protest against the first partition of Bengal by the British. It was not until 1971, nearly seven decades later, that the newly independent Bangladesh adopted it as its national anthem.
The lyrics of 'Amar Sonar Bangla' celebrate Bengal’s natural beauty and express a deep emotional bond with the land, sentiments shared by Bengalis on both sides of the border. The song remains a familiar part of Bengali cultural identity and is often performed at community gatherings, cultural programmes, and even restaurants across India that serve Bengali cuisine.
Sribhumi lies in the Barak Valley, a Bengali-majority region where the song holds cultural significance. In this context, its rendition at a local Congress event appears more a reflection of regional heritage than a political statement.
The row comes at a sensitive time in India–Bangladesh relations, which have strained since Sheikh Hasina’s government was ousted last year. Tensions escalated further after the publication of a controversial Bangladesh map that included parts of India’s Northeast, sparking strong reactions in Guwahati and Delhi alike.
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