Eminent Dhallywood actor, freedom fighter and politician Masud Parvez, popularly known by his stage name Sohel Rana, has launched his new political organisation titled ‘Bangladesh Justice Party’ (‘Bangladesh Insaf Party’ in Bangla).
The formation of the party under the chairmanship of the veteran actor was announced after a meeting held in a city hotel in the capital on Thursday (October 3) evening.
The 51-member committee of the new party will be announced later this month or the first week of November. Pigeon, the symbol of peace, has been decided as the party's official symbol.
Dhallywood’s one of the most popular ‘Golden Era’ actors Sohel Rana has been involved in politics for a long time. During his student life in the Ananda Mohan College, Mymensingh, he was the president of the college Chhatra League.
Actor Sohel Rana shifted to ICU
He became the General Secretary of Greater Mymensingh Chhatra League in 1965, Assistant General Secretary of East Pakistan Chhatra League in 1966, and a member of the executive committee of the entire East Pakistan Chhatra League in 1968.
After the country's independence, Sohel Rana was elected Vice President of Iqbal Hall in 1972 while studying at Dhaka University. He joined the Jatiya Party in 2009 by accepting its praesidium membership and was appointed as an election advisor to the Jatiya Party chairman and former President of the country HM Ershad.
Also a veteran and acclaimed silver screen actor, Sohel Rana stepped into the country’s film industry immediately after the independence in 1971 by establishing Parvez Films as a producer.
Under the banner of this production house, the late eminent filmmaker Chashi Nazrul Islam made Bangladesh's first full-length film based on the Liberation War, ‘Ora Egaro Jon’ in 1972.
He started his career as an actor and director in 1973 with the film ‘Masud Rana’ where he portrayed the title character, based on a story from the late fictionist Qazi Anwar Hussain's famous fictional spy thriller series ‘Masud Rana’.
For his contribution as an actor, Sohel Rana achieved the National Film Award three times in his career, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.