Asif Iqbal’s iconic lyrics 'Jodi Lokkho Thake Otut’ featured on FIFA World Cup page

A lyric from one of Bangladesh's most popular and enduring inspirational songs “Jodi Lokkho Thake Otut”, penned by veteran lyricist Asif Iqbal, has been featured on the official FIFA World Cup social media page, marking a rare moment of global recognition for a Bengali song. 

The line,  “Jodi lokkho thake otut, bishshash hridoye” appeared alongside a photograph of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro on the official FIFA World Cup page, yesterday after Brazil won the match against Japan.

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Sharing his emotions in a Facebook post, Asif Iqbal described the moment as a proud achievement for Bangladesh and the Bengali language.  What made him proud is that the post used the Bengali line without translation as part of a message celebrating Brazil's resurgence.

The lyric was originally written for “Close Up One: Tomakei Khujchhe Bangladesh”, a music competition programme aimed at inspiring aspiring singers. Over the years, the song has grown far beyond its original purpose, becoming one of the country's most widely recognised motivational anthems.

Asif noted that the lyric has been quoted in the National Parliament and sung at sporting events, public gatherings, moments of crisis and celebrations of success, gradually becoming embedded in Bangladesh's cultural landscape.

The songwriter later adopted the phrase as the title of his book, “Jodi Lokkho Thake Otut”, which went on to become a bestseller and reached its ninth edition.

Reflecting on the lyric's remarkable journey, Asif wrote, “Just think about it. One line. From a song to Parliament. From Parliament to the title of a book. From a book to FIFA's page. At every stage, I simply kept giving. I never imagined how far it would travel.”

He added, “The language of emotion needs no translation. And when something is written from the heart, no one can stop its journey. This achievement is not mine alone. It belongs to Bangladesh. It belongs to the Bengali language.”

Expressing gratitude, the lyricist concluded, “A boy from Chattogram once wrote a line. Today that line has reached the global stage. Because even the words of ordinary people from a small country can one day reach the world's biggest platform. You simply have to keep your goal unwavering.”