Altaf Mahmud (23 December 1933 – September 1971) was a musician, cultural activist, and martyred freedom fighter of the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...

. He was also a language activist of the Language Movement and composer of " Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano", the famous song written to commemorate the event. He was awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

in 1977 and Independence Day Award in 2004 posthumously by the

government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

Early life

Altaf Mahmud was born in Patarchar village of Muladi thana under Bakerganj (now

Barisal Barisal ( or ; , ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Divi ...

, Bangladesh). He finished his matriculation from Barisal Zilla School. Mahmud was then admitted to BM College before he went to

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

to learn painting at the Calcutta Arts School. Mahmud started singing while he was a school boy. He first learnt music from famous violin player Suren Roy. He learnt to sing gana sangit (people's song), which brought him popularity during that time.

Career

Mahmud came to Dhaka in 1950 and joined in Dhumketu Shilpi Shongho. Later he became the music director of the institution. In 1956, Mahmud was invited to the Vienna Peace Conference. But he was unable to attend as his passport was confiscated by the government at Karachi. There he stayed until 1963 and took talim of classical music to Ustad Abdul Kader Khan. He also associated with dance director Ghanashyam and music director Debu Bhattacharya. After returning from Karachi to Dhaka, Mahmud worked in 19 different films. Along with the famous '' Jibon Theke Neya'', he also worked in films like ''Kaise Kahu'', ''Kar Bau'', and ''Tanha''. He also remained associated with politics and different cultural organizations. In addition to his talent in music, Mahmud was also fluent in painting.

Language Movement and Liberation War

During 1950 he sang ''gonoshongit'' in many places to inspire the activists of the Language Movement. Along with his singing, Mahmud continued to support the movement. He composed the music for the song ''Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano'' in 1969, in Zahir Raihan's film ''Jibon Theke Neya''. Mahmud took part in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. He created a secret camp inside his house for the freedom fighters. When the location of this camp was revealed, the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

caught him on 30 August 1971. Mahmud was tortured by them, and many other guerrilla fighters like Shafi Imam Rumi were also captured by the Pakistan Army on that day. Mahmud and many other fighters were captured and killed in this incident. His patriotic songs, which were broadcast at the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, also inspired the independence fighters during the war.

Personal life and legacy

Altaf Mahmud was married to Sara Ara Mahmud (d. 2025); she served as a director of the Department of Drama and Film at Shilpakala Academy. On 18 July 2013, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was found guilty and received a life sentence on the charge related to the killing of Rumi along with Badi, Jewel, Azad and Altaf Mahmud at the army camp set up in Nakhalpara, Dhaka, during the Liberation War.

Discography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mahmud, Altaf 1933 births 1971 deaths People from Barisal District Bangladeshi composers 20th-century Bangladeshi male singers 20th-century Bangladeshi singers Martyred intellectuals of the Bangladesh Liberation War Brojomohun College alumni Government College of Art & Craft alumni University of Calcutta alumni Recipients of the Independence Award 20th-century composers Recipients of the Ekushey Padak in arts Barishal Zilla School alumni Language activists