Ajit Roy (29 June 1938 – 4 September 2011) was a Bangladeshi
Rabindra Sangeet
''Rabindra Sangeet'' ( bn, রবীন্দ্র সঙ্গীত; ), also known as Tagore Songs, are songs from the Indian subcontinent written and composed by the Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Li ...
singer. During the Liberation War of 1971 he sang inspiring songs called ''Gana Sangeet'' to inspire people to take arms against the Pakistani forces. He was awarded
Independence Day Award
The Independence Day Award ( bn, স্বাধীনতা পদক), also termed Independence Award ( bn, স্বাধীনতা পুরস্কার), Swadhinata Padak, and Swadhinata Puroskar, is the highest state award given by t ...
in 2000 by the
Government of Bangladesh
The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার — ) is the central executive government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Con ...
.
Early life
Roy was born in the village Ulipur in Kurigram district on June 29, 1938. His father Mukunda Chandra Roy was a government official in Rangpur while his mother Konika Roy was a school teacher and cultural activist. He took lesson on Tagore music from his mother Konika Roy in his childhood.
Career
In radio and television
Roy came to Dhaka in the 1960s and began working with the country's government-run radio station and also worked with the country's only television channel from its inception. He gained in popularity in composing many patriotic songs during the war.
In the mid-60s Roy used to compose a new song on the occasion of the Language Movement Day every year and present that particular song on the auspicious day. It was Roy, who sang Bidrohi by Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, composed by Altaf Mahmud on one such occasion. In 1972 he joined Bangladesh Betar (radio) as a music director, and retired in 1996. He is also the founder of a musical organisation, Abbhudoy Sangeet Academy.
War and playbacks
He lent his voice to several feature films including ‘Jibon Thekey Neya’, 'Reporter', 'Je Agune Purechhi', 'Janmabhumi', 'Kothai Jeno Dekhechhi' and 'Kasai. He also played a character in the film 'Suruj Mia'. Ajit rendered “Amar Sonar Bangla” and “Jago Onashono Bondi” and composed many timeless songs on SBBK. He composed the first song announcing the victory of Bangladesh: “Shwadhin Shwadhin Dikey Dikey Aj”.
Death
Roy had long been suffering from cancer as well as pneumonia.
Ajit Roy passes away
/ref> He died on September 4, 2011.
Awards
* Independence Day Award
The Independence Day Award ( bn, স্বাধীনতা পদক), also termed Independence Award ( bn, স্বাধীনতা পুরস্কার), Swadhinata Padak, and Swadhinata Puroskar, is the highest state award given by t ...
(2000)
* Gunijan Padak from Rabindra Sangeet Sammilon Parishad
* Sraddhanjalipatro from Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Shangshtha
* Shabdoshainik Padak from SBBK
* Sequence Award (1988)
* Begum Rokeya Padak
Begum Rokeya Padak, named after Begum Rokeya, is a Bangladeshi national honour conferred on individual women for their exceptional achievement. The award is given by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh. The ...
* Chittagong Youth Choir Award
* Wrishijo Shilpo Goshthi Padak
* Robi Rashmi Padak
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roy, Ajit
1938 births
2011 deaths
Bangladeshi Hindus
20th-century Bangladeshi male singers
20th-century Bangladeshi singers
Recipients of the Independence Day Award