Mohammad Zahirullah (19 August 1935 – disappeared 30 January 1972), known as Zahir Raihan, was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is most notable for his documentary ''

Stop Genocide ''Stop Genocide'' is a 1971 documentary film by Bangladeshi filmmaker Zahir Raihan. It is a 20-minute film that documents the killings and atrocities carried out by the Pakistan Army on the people of the then East Pakistan. It also depicts the pl ...

'' (1971), made during the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

. He was posthumously awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...

in 1977 and

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 1992 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 and education

Mohammad Zahirullah was born on 19 August 1935, at Majupur, a village in the Feni Mahakuma under

Noakhali district Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and offici ...

of the

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

in British India (now Feni district in Bangladesh). After the Partition of Bengal in 1947, he, along with his parents, returned to his village from

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

. He obtained his bachelor's in Bengali from the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

. He received his

postgraduate degree Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

Bengali literature Bengali literature ( bn, বাংলা সাহিত্য, Bangla Sahityô) denotes the body of writings in the Bengali language and which covers Old Bengali, Middle- Bengali and Modern Bengali with the changes through the passage of time ...

Career

Along with literary works, Raihan started working as a journalist, when he joined ''Juger Alo'' in 1950. Later, he also worked in newspapers, namely ''Khapchhara'', ''Jantrik'', and ''Cinema''. He also worked as the editor of ''Probaho'' in 1956. His first collection of short stories, titled ''Suryagrahan'', was published in 1955. He worked as an assistant director on the Urdu film '' Jago Hua Savera'' in 1957. This was his first direct involvement in film. He also assisted Salahuddin in the film ''Je Nadi Marupathe''. The filmmaker

Ehtesham Abu Nur Muhammad Ehteshamul Haq (1927 – 17 February 2002), known as Captain Ehtesham, was a Bangladeshi and Pakistani film director. On his death in 2002 he was described as a Innovator, pioneer of the film industry in Dhaka, and one of Banglad ...

also employed him on his film ''E Desh Tomar Amar'', for which he wrote the title song. In 1960, he made his directorial début with '' Kokhono Asheni'', which was released in 1961. In 1964, he made Pakistan's first colour film, '' Sangam'', and completed his first

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

film, ''Bahana'', the following year. Raihan was an active supporter of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952 and was present at the historical meeting of Amtala on 21 February 1952. He was among the first group of people who got arrested on the day. The effect of the Bengali Language Movement was so strong on him that he used it as the premise of his landmark film ''

Jibon Theke Neya ''Jibon Theke Neya'' () is a 1970 Bengali-language Pakistani film directed by Zahir Raihan. The film is a political satire based on the Bengali Language Movement under the rule of Pakistan metaphorically, where an autocratic woman in one family ...

''. He also took part in the

1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan The 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan ( bn, ঊনসত্তরের গণঅভ্যুত্থান, lit=69’s Mass uprising) was a democratic political movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The uprising consisted of a series of m ...

. In the immediate aftermath of the March 1971 start of the

, Raihan made the documentary ''Stop Genocide''. Critic Ziaul Haq Swapan calls it the start of the history of Bangladeshi documentaries and describes it as "a vehement protest against the Pakistan army’s pogrom in Bangladesh". Raihan also made the documentary ''A State is Born'' during the war. Raihan went to Calcutta during the conflict, where his film ''Jibon Theke Neya'' was shown. His film was highly acclaimed by

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs of fil ...

Ritwik Ghatak Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was a noted Indian film director, screenwriter, and playwright. Along with prominent contemporary Bengali filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen, his cinema is primarily remembe ...

Mrinal Sen Mrinal Sen (''Beng.'' মৃণাল সেন; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Bengali, and few Hindi and Telugu language films. Regarded as one of the finest Ind ...

, and

Tapan Sinha Tapan Sinha (2 October 1924 – 15 January 2009) was one of the most prominent Indian film directors of his time forming a legendary quartet with Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. He was primarily a Bengali filmmaker who worked both ...

. Though he was in financial difficulties at the time, he gave all his money from the Calcutta showing to the Freedom Fighters trust."Akhono Obohelito Zahir Raihan" Hossain, Amzad. The Daily Prothom Alo, 17 August 2006

Personal life

Raihan had been married twice, to Sumita Devi in 1961 and Shuchonda in 1968, both of whom were film actresses. With Sumita he had two sons, Bipul Raihan and Anol Raihan. He, with Shuchonda, had also two sons named Opu Raihan and Topu Raihan.

Disappearance

Raihan disappeared on 30 January 1972, when he was trying to locate his brother, a notable writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and presumably killed by the

Pakistan army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

and/or local collaborators during the final days of the liberation war. It is believed that he was killed with many others when armed Bihari collaborators and soldiers of the Pakistan Army who were hiding fired on them when they went to Mirpur, a suburb of the capital city of Dhaka that was one of few strongholds for Pakistani/Bihari collaborators at that time.

Books

Novels

Short stories

Filmography

Director

;Films * '' Kokhono Asheni'', 1961 * ''Sonar Kajol'', 1962 (jointly with

Kalim Sharafi Kalim Sharafi (8 May 1924 – 2 November 2010) was a Bangladeshi Rabindra Sangeet singer. He gave his ideas in several publications regarding politics, culture, and Tagore. He is regarded as one of the best Rabindra Sangeet singers in the subcont ...

) * ''

Kancher Deyal Kancher Deyal ( bn, কাঁচের দেয়াল) is a 1963 Bengali-language Pakistani film. It was written and directed by Zahir Raihan. Anwar Hossain, Sumita Devi, Khan Ataur Rahman in the lead role and others supporting role were port ...

'', 1963 * '' Sangam'', 1964, Urdu * ''Bahana'', 1965, Urdu * ''

Behula Behula is the protagonist in the Shiva Purana and the Manasamangal genre of Assamese and Bengali medieval epics. A number of works belonging to this genre were written between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries. Though the religious purpos ...

'', 1966 * ''Anwara'', 1967 * ''

'', 1970 * ''Jaltey Suraj Ke Neeche'', 1971, Urdu * ''Let There Be Light'', unfinished ;Documentary films * ''

, 1971'' * ''A State is Born, 1971''

Producer

* ''

'', 1963 * '' Sangam'', 1964, Urdu * ''Bahana'', 1965, Urdu * ''

'', 1966 * ''Roi Bhai'', 1967 * ''Dui Bhai'', 1968 * ''Shuorani Duorani'', 1968 * ''

Moner Moto Bou ''Moner Moto Bou'' ("A wife-like mind") is a 1969 East Pakistani film directed by Rahim Nawaz and starring Razzak and Suchonda as lead pair. It also stars Khan Ataur Rahman and Sultana Zaman. It is one of the six films where Razzak and Suchonda ...

'', 1969 * ''Shesh Parjyanta'', 1969 * ''

'', 1970, with A. Rahman

Awards

Adamjee Literary Award Adamjee Literary Award, also known as Adamjee Prize, is a literary award bestowed by the government of Pakistan. It is presented by the president. The award seeks to recognize those people who have made "meritorious contribution" to the literature ...

Bangla Academy Literary Award The Bangla Academy Literary Award ( bn, বাংলা একাডেমি সাহিত্য পুরস্কার; ''Bangla Academy Shahitya Puroshkar''), is given by the Bangla Academy of Bangladesh in recognition of creative genius i ...

(1972) *

(1977) *

(1992) * Bangladesh National Film Awards (2005)

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Raihan, Zahir 1935 births 1970s missing person cases 20th-century dramatists and playwrights 20th-century male writers 20th-century novelists Bangladeshi dramatists and playwrights Bangladeshi film directors Bangladeshi male novelists Documentary war filmmakers Male dramatists and playwrights Missing people People from Feni District Recipients of Bangla Academy Award Best Dialogue National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners Recipients of the Adamjee Literary Award Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Recipients of the Independence Day Award University of Dhaka alumni Best Story National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners Missing person cases in Bangladesh