Yesterday marked the 90th birth anniversary of eminent filmmaker, writer, and martyred intellectual Zahir Raihan, whose creative works continue to inspire generations in Bangladesh. To commemorate the occasion, the Zahir Raihan Film Institute arranged a special programme in Dhaka.
The event, titled “Bangalir Shadhikar Andoloney Cholchitrokar Zahir Raihan er Dorshon o Songram” (Zahir Raihan's Philosophy and Struggles in the Bengali Liberation Movement), was held at Café Vintage in Dhanmondi. The programme featured paper presentations, recitations, music, discussions, and film screenings. Rustam Ali Khokon, member secretary of the National Education and Culture Movement, delivered the keynote paper. The discussion was joined by Bangladesh Student Union president Mahir Shahriar Reza, journalist and film critic Bidhan Reberio, Udichi Central Committee acting president Mahmud Selim, and Raihan’s son, Anol Raihan.
Born on August 19, 1935, in Majupur of present-day Feni, Zahir Raihan (born Mohammad Zahirullah) left a lasting mark on both literature and cinema. His powerful documentary Stop Genocide during the Liberation War highlighted the atrocities committed in 1971. He made his directorial debut with Kokhono Asheni (1961), later creating Sangam (1964), the first colour film in Pakistan, and Bahana (1965), the first CinemaScope film in the region. His masterpiece Jibon Theke Neya remains a landmark in Bangladeshi cinema, praised by Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak.
In literature, his acclaimed novel Hajar Bochor Dhore captured rural life vividly, while works such as Shesh Bikeler Meye, Borof Gola Nodi, and Arek Falgun (inspired by the Language Movement) secured his place in Bengali literature.
Raihan disappeared in 1972 while searching for his brother Shahidullah Kaiser. He was later posthumously honoured with the Bangla Academy Award, National Film Award, Ekushey Padak, and Independence Award. His legacy lives through his films, books, and his children — Bipul, Arafat, Anol, and Topu Raihan.
