Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has greeted all concerned for placing Bangladesh’s national anthem — Amar Sonar Bangla — in lakho konthe in the Guinness Book of World Record.
PM’s Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil on Friday said the Prime Minister issued a congratulatory message for this.
The Prime Minister in her message said: “Through this record, the Bangalee nation has proved once again that this country would be turned into Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal) one day as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman being imbued with the spirit of patriotism.”Sheikh Hasina extended her heartiest congratulations to the organisers of the mega event, including the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Armed Forces, police, Rab and BGB, as well as participants, including students, teachers, garment workers and mass people, on this historic occasion.
She said: “It’s not impossible for that nation which earned independence in exchange of blood through war.”
Guinness authorities on Wednesday formally documented Bangladesh record in mobilising highest number of people for singing simultaneously the national anthem coinciding with the Independence Day celebrations on March 26.
“The most people singing a national anthem simultaneously is 254,537 and was achieved by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 26 March 2014,” the Guinness authorities said.
Over 2.5 lakh Bangladeshis sang in chorus the national anthem to set a new world record coinciding with the 43rd Independence Day celebrations also joined by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with the 1971 Liberation War veterans and her cabinet colleagues.
Cross sections of people, including schoolchildren, sang simultaneously “Amar Sonar Bangla, Ami Tomai Bhalabashi” (My Golden Bengal, I love you) at the “open to everyone” event monitored by Guinness Book officials at the National Parade Ground.
According to machine counts at that time, 254,681 people sang the national anthem simultaneously at the main ground but organisers said the figure exceeded 3 lakh with inclusion of audience who joined the chorus on the sidelines.
India set the immediate past record in the category on May 6 last year when 121,653 people sang simultaneously their national anthem in an event staged by Sahara India Pariwar (India) in Lucknow. – UNB
