Volume 6 | Issue 20| October 20, 2012|



  
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Behind the Scene

Sylhet

Folk Veteran Passes Away

Bidit Lal Das, the veteran folk singer, commonly known as 'Potol Babu' in Sylhet is no more. He composed music of a number of hugely popular folk songs like 'Shadher lau banailo morey boiragi,'' 'Kare dekhabo moner dukkho go ami buk chiria', 'Sylhet prothom ajan dhoni babai diachhey',Pran kande more mon kande ray' and 'moriley kandishna amar dai' etc. For his huge contribution in music, the great folk singer was awarded by a number of organisation and institutions at home and abroad.
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Iqbal Siddiquee

 
 
Bidit Lal Das
winner of several prestigious awards

The veteran folk singer, Bidit Lal Das, commonly known as 'Potol Babu' in Sylhet is no more. Suffering from Liver related complexities, along with old-age ailments for long, Das died at a hospital in the capital 8 October at the age of 74. He left behind his widow, a son and a host of relatives, friends and admireres to mourn his death.

He was admitted at a hospital in Sylhet on 7 September and was shifted to the capital on 21 September. His body was kept at the Sylhet Betar and at the Sylhet central Shahid minar for some time as the common and cultural activists paid tributes before funeral Tuesday afternoon at the city's Chalibandar Cremation ground. Sylhet Betar organised 3-day programme in his honour from Tuesday.

Born in a well-to-do family of Sylhet's Sheikhghat area on 15th June of 1938, Das got an unique family environment for cultural activities in his childhood. Initially, he was a deciple of Ustad Pranesh Das learning music, and then Das became a deciple of Ustad Paresh Chakravarty in India, and took lessons from him for 20 years.

Hason Raja's popular song 'Lokey boley boley rey', sung by music legend Nirmalendu Chowdhury, raised young Bidit Lal Das's interest in folk songs.

The man composed music of a number of hugely popular folk songs like 'Shadher lau banailo morey boiragi,'' 'Kare dekhabo moner dukkho go ami buk chiria', 'Sylhet prothom ajan dhoni babai diachhey',Pran kande more mon kande ray' and 'moriley kandishna amar dai' etc.

He had composed music of a number of songs of Hason Raja, Radharomon, Gias Uddin and others. Also, he had worked as music director of a number of dance-dramas like 'Siraj Uddoula', 'Dwipantor'‚'Taposhi', 'Prodipshikha‚ 'Bishorjon' and 'Surmar bankey bankey' etc.

As member of cultural troupes, Bidit Lal Das had travelled different countries inluding the UK, China, Sweden, Denmark, Kuwait, India and others. Bidit Lal Das in 2004 established 'Nilom Sangitaloy' in memory of his second son, Nilom, who had died at the age of only 4 years.

Das became first in the Dhaka division level competition in 'Lokagiti Uthsab' organised by the Social welfare department in 1961.

Hearing a folk song by Bidit at the Loka sangeet Uthsab organized by the Bangladesh Betar's transcription service in 1973, poet Jashim Uddin, who was sitting in the audience, greeted him with garland.

For his huge contribution in music, the great folk singer was awarded by a number of organisation and institutions at home and abroad. These include, Bangladesh Shilpakala academy's Gunijon award, Bharotiyo Loka sangbordhona in Kolkata, Sylhet Lokasangeet Parishad award and Nazrul Academy award etc.


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