Zahir Raihan

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'' (1971), made during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was posthumously awarded Ekushey Padak in 1977 and Independence Day Award in 1992 by the government of Bangladesh.

Early life and education

Mohammad Zahirullah was born on 19 August 1935 in the village of Majupur in Sonagazi, Feni subdivision, then a part of the Bengal Presidency's Noakhali district. His father, Mawlana Mohammad Habibullah, was a professor at the Calcutta Alia Madrasa and later the Dacca Alia Madrasa. Raihan had enrolled at the former institution's Anglo-Persian Department but his studies were interrupted due to the Partition of Bengal in 1947, and so he, along with his parents, returned to his village from Calcutta.

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 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 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''. He also took part in the 1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan.

In the immediate aftermath of the March 1971 start of the Bangladesh Liberation War, Raihan made the documentary ''Stop Genocide''. Before that he was making his first English film, ''Let There Be Light''. He abandoned the project and made his most notable work, the documentary ''Stop Genocide'', depicting the horrendous atrocities of the Pakistani forces. 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, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, and Tapan Sinha. 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

His father's name was Mohammad Habibullah and mother's name was Syeda Sufia Khatun. He had an elder brother named Shahidullah Kaiser.
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. Again with Shuchonda, had also two sons named Opu Raihan and Topu Raihan.

Disappearance

Raihan went missing on 30 January 1972, when he was trying to locate his brother, notable writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and presumably killed by the Pakistan army and/or local collaborators during the final days of the liberation war. Many believe 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, but mysteriously nothing was investigated during the regime of Bangabandhu's government.

Books

Novels

Short stories

Filmography

Director

;Films
* '' Kokhono Asheni'', 1961
* ''Sonar Kajol'', 1962 (jointly with Kalim Sharafi)
* '' Kancher Deyal'', 1963
* '' Sangam'', 1964, Urdu
* ''Bahana'', 1965, Urdu
* '' Behula'', 1966
* '' Anwara'', 1967
* '' Jibon Theke Neya'', 1970
* ''Jaltey Suraj Ke Neeche'', 1971, Urdu
* ''Let There Be Light'', unfinished
;
;Documentary films
* '' Stop Genocide'', 1971
* ''A State is Born'', 1971

Producer

* '' Kancher Deyal'', 1963
* '' Sangam'', 1964, Urdu
* ''Bahana'', 1965, Urdu
* '' Behula'', 1966
* ''Roi Bhai'', 1967
* ''Dui Bhai'', 1968
* ''Shuorani Duorani'', 1968
* '' Moner Moto Bou'', 1969
* ''Shesh Parjyanta'', 1969
* '' Jibon Theke Neya'', 1970, with A. Rahman

Awards

* Adamjee Literary Award
* Bangla Academy Literary Award (1972)
* Ekushey Padak (1977)
* Independence Day Award (1992)
* Bangladesh National Film Awards (2005)

See also

* List of people who disappeared

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raihan, Zahir
1935 births
1970s missing person cases
20th-century dramatists and playwrights
20th-century Bangladeshi male writers
20th-century Bangladeshi novelists
Bangladeshi dramatists and playwrights
Bangladeshi film directors
Bangladeshi male novelists
Documentary war filmmakers
Male dramatists and playwrights
Missing Bangladeshi people
People from Sonagazi Upazila
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 Award
University of Dhaka alumni
Best Story National Film Award (Bangladesh) winners
Missing person cases in Bangladesh
People of the Bangladesh Liberation War
Martyrs of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Liberation War