It is said to have originated during a speech by
Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani on 23 November 1970 in
Paltan Maidan,
Dhaka. The speech happened only a few days after the
1970 Bhola cyclone, the deadliest
natural disaster to ever be recorded in history. The
Government of Pakistan was heavily criticised for its slow reactions to relief operations following the storm
Bhashani and he recommended that
East Pakistan should separate and become its own independent country. He ended the speech by replacing the
Pakistani slogan of
Pakistan Zindabad with "
Purbo Pakistan Zindabad" (Long Live
East Pakistan). Throughout the
Bangladesh Liberation War, Bangladesh Zindabad and
Sheikh Mujib Zindabad were a common phrase used by supporters of the
Bengali separatist movement in Pakistan. Following
Bangladeshi independence, many were of the opinion, that
Joy Bangla (Victory to Bengal) had completed its motive and that Bangladesh Zindabad, hoping for longevity, would be more of an appropriate slogan. During the
presidency of
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad in 1975,
Bangladesh Zindabad was made the national slogan of Bangladesh, replacing Joy Bangla. The slogan was also used during the
presidency of
Ziaur Rahman as part of his attempt to create a territorial identity for
Bangladesh in contrast to the ethnolinguistic
Bengali identity. It was used in particular, as a closing remark for his speeches. After the
7 November 1975 coup d'état, Bangladeshi citizens from "all strata of society" were known to have shouted "Bangladesh Zindabad". ==Political slogan ==