Bangla Desh (song)

Bangla Desh (song)

"Bangla Desh" is a song by George Harrison that was released as a non-album single in July 1971. It was inspired by Harrison's friend Ravi Shankar, a Bengali Hindu, and written to raise international awareness of the plight suffered by millions of refugees from former East Pakistan, following the 1970 Bhola cyclone and the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Pop’s first charity single, "Bangla Desh" was issued three days before the Harrison-sponsored Concert for Bangladesh shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, becoming a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, and peaking at number 23 on America's Billboard Hot 100. The song was performed at the two UNICEF concerts, on 1 August, as a rousing encore.

"Bangla Desh" has been described as "one of the most cogent social statements in music history", helping to establish the name of the fledgling nation of Bangladesh around the world. In 2005, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan identified its success in personalising the Bangladesh crisis, through the lyrics' emotive description of Shankar approaching his friend for help.

"Bangla Desh" was included on the 1976 compilation The Best of George Harrison, which remains the only official CD release on which the song is available.