Rap and the New Betar Kendra

This piece was written in September 2024, a month after the uprising, and published that year in an alumni magazine. Reproducing it here with some modifications.

In the history of Bangladesh, songs, particularly patriotic and protest songs, have been a powerful tool in inspiring and uniting people in their quest for freedom from oppressive or autocratic regimes. These songs, often depicting people's deprivation and suffering, send a strong message to the rulers about their wrongdoings. These songs capture the mood of the masses and use localized or colloquial expressions, giving them wide reach. They can ignite the spirit to unite and fight amidst extreme adversities. Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra — "Free Bengal Radio Centre" — which used to play patriotic and freedom songs during Bangladesh's Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971, is a case in point here. Here, I focus on the legacy of Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra's spirit in the 2024 Student Quota Reform Movement and how a separate genre of freedom songs, in the form of Rap music, has shaped the 2024 mass awakening and uprising.

Shadheen/Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra was the radio broadcasting hub for Bengali nationalist forces during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. It played a significant role in the struggle for independence, broadcasting the Declaration of Independence and bolstering the morale of Bangladeshis amidst the harsh genocide of that period. At the time, radio was the only medium capable of reaching remote areas across Bangladesh, and the station conducted a continuous campaign throughout the liberation period, regularly airing patriotic songs, talk shows, and special programs that significantly mobilized global perception and support in Bangladesh's favor.

Patriotic songs, known as "Muktir gaan," aired from Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra and were among the most awaited segments. Weary freedom fighters listened to the songs to re-energize themselves, sitting in their war camp far away from their home and family. With their robust, patriotic lyrics and catchy compositions, the songs heavily uplifted the spirits of all people aspiring for a free nation. These songs eventually became the standard and medium of expressing resentment against later establishments — the protestors played and sang the same songs, along with other modern music, during the 1991 uprising against the autocratic Ershad regime, and again in 2024, in the streets, processions, and public gatherings. However, there is an exciting addition to the 2024 "Muktir gaan" — Bangla Rap freedom/protest songs.

2024 Rap Protest Song — A genre of its own

Rap music is a part of the African American hip-hop culture. Its unique feature lies in its style and presentation - songs are not sung traditionally but are presented with an emotive expression through rhyme, rhythm, and musical accompaniment. The genre is prevalent in the West, especially in expressing and addressing social and political issues, racism, and poverty. In Bangladesh, the popularity of rap music is limited — it has yet to strike a chord among music lovers at large. Music enthusiasts tend to discredit rap songs as actual songs, clubbing them only with a particular age group — Gen Z. The 2024 Uprising, however, considerably challenged the status quo.

Due to their inherent rebellious style, the rap protest songs are hard-hitting. As most Bangladeshis associate these songs with a certain age group, they instantly connect the rap protest songs with the student protestors who mostly belong to the same age group. It felt like the rappers were the affected students, the protagonists of the movement, the ones who were affected firsthand by the state anarchy. The rap songs became the voice of the student protestors, and eventually the voices of the civilians who joined the movement and all who supported the cause.

2024 Rap Protest Song — The language and approach

The unique distinction of the 2024 rap songs from the past protest songs is in the "language." All the rap protest songs are written in rural/colloquial Bangla dialect. The songs do not use any sophisticated, upper-class Bangla words and tone — the language was raw and locally spoken by working-class people and young students.

AwaazUda by Hannan premiered on YouTube on July 18, 2024, and received over 3.5 million views as of the first week of September 2024. The song, in colloquial dialect, depicts the atrocities committed against the students and demands that the government stop them. The song reads:

"নামসি বুকে পতাকা হাতে দেশ বেচতাসোস কয় টেকা ? সিলেট যহন ডুইব্বা গেসে পানি আইসে কইথেকা? আবু সাঈদরে গুল্লি করলি অডার দিলো কইথেকা? এবার রাস্তায় লাখো সাঈদ কইলজা থাকলে ঠেকাগা!"

A rough translation could be:

We are on the street with the flag in our hands. How much money did you get for selling our land? When Sylhet was flooded, where did the water come from? Who shot Abu Sayed, and where did the order come from? Now, on the streets, there are millions of Abu Sayed. Stop us if you can.

The message was loud and clear and reached millions because of the language and emotion it conveyed. It made the Hasina government jittery, and the rapper was arrested.

In most probability, apart from two outliers, "Ora Amar mukher basha kaira netey chai" (They want to snatch away my right to mother language) and "Rashtrabhasa Andolano Karilire Bangali, Tora Dhakar Shahar Rokte-Vasaili" (You have made us fight for our mother tongue, you have flooded the Dhaka city in the blood), earlier songs based on the 1952 Language Movement are mostly sober and somber — songs like "Amar bhaier Rokte Rangano" (Colored with my brother's blood) were written in a mellowed and grief-stricken tone. Similarly, most of the Muktir gaan aired from Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra in 1971 were composed catering to the sensibilities of the middle-class and upper-middle-class Bangladeshi people. "Mora Ekti phool ke banchabo boley juddho kori" (We fight to save a flower) was a pure patriotic song filled with love and emotion for the motherland, in which the flower was metaphorically used to refer to the motherland — Bangladesh. These songs were composed in measured and decent official Bangla, known as "Promita Bangla."

In contrast, the rappers of 2024 are all young, and most compose their own songs. Their main objective is to revolt against the system and bring about a transformation — they speak their heart out in their day-to-day language and go to any lengths to express their anger and resentments, even using slang and abuse, something unheard of in the old protest songs. For example, the song "Desh Shongskar" by Gold Cube does not only capture all forms of corruption and anti-national activities of the then ruling government but also uses abuses ("Shoot me, you bastard") that blended well with the theme of the song and were hugely accepted without any prejudice. An excerpt:

ওরা কইসে, "রাষ্ট ভাষা বাংলা চাই" "নিরাপদ সড়ক চাই" "কোটার সংস্কার চাই" ছাত্র যদি ভয় পাইতো বন্দুকের গুলি তাইলে আজকে রাষ্ট্র ভাষা উর্দু থাকতো দেশে স্বৈরাচার রাজ করে গুলি খায়া পাখির চেয়ে ছাত্র বেশি মরে আবু সাইদের মত বুক পাইতা কমু "গুলি কর খানকির পোলা"

(They say, "We want Bengali as the state language" "We want safe roads," "We want reforms in quotas." If students were afraid of bullets, then today Urdu would have been the state language. The country is ruled by autocrats. Students die more than birds from bullets; I will act like Abu Said, "Shoot me, you bastard.")

The introduction to many of the rap protest song videos on YouTube (link in the references) reads: "Our nation's history has taught us the vital importance of freedom of speech and the unwavering courage to stand up against any odds. Hip Hop, as a cultural movement, mirrors these same values, empowering individuals to express their truths and confront societal challenges. We are not in opposition to any organization; instead, we seek to amplify the voices of our peers and shed light on the issues affecting our country. This is Bangladesh. We are the revolution."

The 2024 rap songs mirror that spirit — "Freedom of speech," "Unwavering courage," "Empowering individuals," and "Revolution," are reflected strongly in their lyrics and compositions, and set them apart from the crowd.

2024 Rap Protest Songs: Context and Issue-based

One of the most striking features of the 2024 rap songs is that they are based on the vivid real-life scenario of the movement — written and released as it progressed, mentioning names and depicting specific events in the local dialect. This was a great way of connecting with people's raw emotions about the ongoing atrocities against unarmed students and the public.

The 2024 Uprising stems from the Quota Reform Movement/Anti-discrimination Students movement, which began in 2018. Students took to the streets of Bangladesh in June 2024 when the High Court reestablished 30 percent of civil service jobs for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters. The period from June 5 to July 9 is considered the early phase — peaceful protests, demands to rescind the quota system, a wait for a government response. After July 10, the demonstrations gained momentum and spread nationwide. Unlike the nine-month 1971 Liberation War, the 2024 Uprising unfolded mainly within three weeks, from July 14 to August 5: Sheikh Hasina's remarks calling protestors "grandchildren of Rajakars" (July 14), the violent suppression by the Awami student wings Chhatra League and Jubo League (July 15), the police shooting of Abu Sayed and five others (July 16), the killing of Mir Mugdho (July 18), and a countrywide internet shutdown (July 19–21) were among the turning points that propelled the movement to its peak. The world witnessed a coordinated, violent, state-sponsored massacre of unarmed protestors and civilians throughout. The movement shifted into a non-cooperation campaign and culminated in a one-point demand for Hasina's resignation (August 3). She resigned and fled the country on August 5, 2024.

Within this window, dozens of rap songs were composed and released on social media. Audiences connected with the songs and shared them widely; alongside the freedom songs of 1971, they found their place in people's minds and opened up pent-up anger. Rap songs stir the same emotion against injustice as other protest songs, but their unique approach touches people's sensibilities differently.

For example, on July 16, 2024 — the day Abu Sayed, an unarmed university student protestor, was shot dead point-blank by the police — Katha Ko (Speak up) by Shezan premiered on YouTube, garnering 3.8 million views by the first week of September. The song was a protest against the state-sponsored violence and sought accountability for its actions.

Siam's rap song Pani Lagbe Pani (Water, anyone needs water?) was based on Mir Mugdho, who was shot dead while offering and distributing water to the protestors. He touched the hearts of millions with a short video clip carrying water bottles and snacks and asking people whether anyone needed water ("Pani Lagbe Pani?"). The song talks about the fearless sacrifice of Mugdho and others like him.

Similarly, "Shoirachar" (The Autocrat) by Cfu36, released on August 2, reminds us of the sacrifices and lives lost with a promise to win the battle, explicitly naming Abu Sayed, Farhan Faiyyaz, Sharif Hasan, Hossain Adnan, and Mugdho — the movement's iconic figures. An excerpt:

"R.I.P. আবু সাঈদ, R.I.P. ফারহান ফাইয়ায, ভাই তোমরা দিসো সাহস আমগো গলায় তুলসি আওয়াজ। R.I.P. শরীফ হাসান, R.I.P. হোসেন আদনান, ভাই তোমরা গড়সো ইতিহাস আর ওরা তুলসে কামান। মুগ্ধ তোরে কথা দিলাম যুদ্ধ হইবো আরেকবার।"

(RIP Abu Sayed, RIP Farhan Faiyyaz, Brothers, you gave us the courage to raise our voices fearlessly, RIP Sharif Hasan, RIP Hossain Adnan, Brother you have created history, and they have restored to cannon. Mugdho I promise, there will be another war.)

Another situational song, "Raj pothey ay" by Siam and Anik Sahan, was released on August 4 — the day before the students' call for a Long March to Dhaka to facilitate Sheikh Hasina's fall — as an open call for everyone to fearlessly hit the streets and strike the final nail in the coffin.

Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War has its roots in years-long oppression since 1947 as East Pakistan, including the 1952 Language Movement. As such, the songs aired from Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra in 1971 represented an array of emotions and did not always center on a single incident (except Ekushey February 1952). Those songs are loaded with intense emotion and are often more generic in content, without anchoring to a particular moment in history. The appeal of the old patriotic songs is eternal and enduring. The 2024 rap songs, in contrast, were mostly issue/event-specific, tied to a certain time frame from July to August 2024 — songs like "Bangla Ma" by Chef IQ/Bihan continue to draw thousands of listeners daily on YouTube for their unique wording and the global interest in the Bangladesh uprising. These songs are patriotic and rebellious, capturing a country's political turmoil through an internationally recognized music genre that tells a story and depicts real situations and characters — a storehouse for institutional memory, and an excellent digital footprint of the student movement that dethroned a powerful autocratic ruler. These songs might not strike a chord with every generation or hold up over as long a period as the old patriotic songs. But for anyone tracing the history of political movements in Bangladesh, the rap songs could be an invaluable part of that record.

Parting words

We have experienced a sea change in technology. People hardly listen to the radio the way they did during the 1952 Language Movement and the 1971 Liberation War — instead, we spend considerable time on social media through our smartphones. I consider social media the new-age Betar Kendra, with a broader canvas and reach: it not only united Bangladeshis all over the world during the 2024 Uprising but also mobilized global perceptions of Bangladesh, pressuring international human rights organizations and spreading mass awareness against the regime's senseless killing of its citizens.

People's innate aspiration to break free when physically and metaphorically chained has always found its artistic expression in dramas, poems, and songs. For ages, protest songs have heavily impacted and energized freedom warriors across cultures, races, religions, and countries — the Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra's songs did this for 1971, and the 2024 rap protest song has done it for Generation Z. For me, the 2024 uprising unleashed two unique opportunities — firstly, the rise and acceptance of rap music as a new way of protesting in the Bangladesh context, and secondly, the role of social media — that I term the New Betar Kendra 2024. I hope the next generation will look back at the sacrifices and achievements of our country's people and Generation Z through the lens of the Betar Kendra – 2024, with hope and pride.

Note:

Several rap protest songs addressed the rage and rebellion and gathered people under a common umbrella, which I could not mention here or discuss, but I greatly acknowledge their contribution. Protest songs outside the rap genre also contributed significantly — for example, Shono Mahajan by Shunno, Farzana Wahid Sayan's protest songs, and Cholo Bhule Jai by Parsha — but they belong to a different genre and are not the topic here.

References

1. Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. (n.d.). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 6, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swadhin_Bangla_Betar_Kendra
2. Liton, Dr. Hussain Ahmed (2023). Remembering Songs That Sparked Spirit of Language Movement. Retrieved from https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/675920
3. Rapping. (n.d.). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 6, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapping
4. Shezan (2024). Katha Ko. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jGOYAuTHgo&list=PLRA-PP5vgEG07PBJztki48mZ-DgpfOr2d
5. The Daily Star. (2023, September 5). Valiant voices against brute force: The fearless upstarts of Bangla rap. Retrieved from https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/music/news/valiant-voices-against-brute-force-the-fearless-upstarts-bangla-rap-3668111
6. 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement. (n.d.). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 6, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Bangladesh_quota_reform_movement
7. Ekusher Gaan. (n.d.). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 6, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekusher_Gaan
8. Sahan, Anik. (2024). Raj pothe ay. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxPGG5z9eO8&list=PLjp9cDM5tlPrQBY1YSuI2jzPsJ3JXy8Xp&index=26
9. Sahan, Anik. (2024). Siam. Pani Lagbe Pani. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DK5nxrvj_w&list=PLjp9cDM5tlPrQBY1YSuI2jzPsJ3JXy8Xp&index=30
10. CFU36 (2024). Shoirachar. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6j_6Do24O4&list=PLjp9cDM5tlPrQBY1YSuI2jzPsJ3JXy8Xp&index=29
11. Gold Cube. (2023). Desh Shongskar [Lyrics]. Genius. Retrieved from https://genius.com/Gold-cube-desh-shongskar-lyrics </content>