Aliya Sharafi started the musical component of a programme organised by Bengal Foundation on Sunday commemorating her father, the late exponent of Tagore song Kalim Sharafi, by rendering the song ‘Tomari jharna tolar nirjoney’.
After her, Tagore singer Mita Haque rendered two songs – ‘Koto ajanare janaile tumi’ and ‘Shudhu tomar bani noy,’ Shama Rahman sang ‘Ashru nadir sudur pare’ and ‘Dip nibhe gechhe’, Mahiuzzaman rendered ‘Jiban maroner simana periye’ and ‘Diner sheshe ghumer deshe’, and Bulbul Islam sang ‘Tumi rabe nirabe’ and ‘Ami chanchal he’. Renowned artiste Iffat Ara Dewan wrapped up the musical event with her rendering of the songs ‘Likhona tomar’ and ‘Bidai dao khelar sathi’.
Earlier in the evening, professor emeritus Anisuzzaman, writer Syed Shamsul Haq, and Aliya Sharafi discussed Kalim Sharafi’s life and work.
Kalim Sharafi, born on May 8, 1924, was the founding director of Bangladesh Television. He died in Dhaka on November 2, 2010 at the age of 86.
Anisuzzaman said, although Kalim Sharafi was born to an Urdu-speaking family, he had worked for upholding the Bangladeshi culture throughout his life.
Syed Shamsul Haq gave a detailed description of Sharafi’s involvement in different political and cultural movements, especially the anti-British ones. ‘He spent his life for raising political awareness of the masses with his songs. His voice and affectionate eyes cannot be forgotten,’ remarked Haq.
Aliya Sharafi said she had a dream of establishing an archive and an academy in memory of her father to promote the works of Rabindranath Tagore, conduct research on them, and to introduce them to the new generation.
