Guinness accepts national anthem record

The Guinness Book of World Records has finally accepted Bangladesh’s record for gathering the most people to sing the national anthem ‘Amar Shonar Bangla’ at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka on March 26.

The Guinness authority recorded Bangladesh’s achievement on Wednesday afternoon, within days of Guinness’ review of evidence from the Bangladesh government.

The Guinness authority has stated: “The most people singing a national anthem simultaneously numbers 254,537 and this was achieved by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh (Bangladesh) at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 26 March 2014.”

Though Bangladeshis had sung their national anthem on the country’s Independence Day (26th March, 2014) it wasn’t added to the Guinness book of World Records till Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the authority said they had been waiting “to receive evidence for the record claim for most people singing a national/regional anthem simultaneously.”

On March 26, the country set a new world record as over 2.5 lakh people sang the National anthem in chorus celebrating the 43rd anniversary of the Bangladeshi Independence Day.

The organisers, cultural affairs ministry and the Armed Forces Division had targets to bring at least three lakh people together to lend their voice to the singing of the National anthem to surpass the last year’s Indian record of121,653 people.