So Fakir Alamgir bhai is gone and with him goes a cultural world which can never be resurrected as the world that produced it is gone. He came from a world where arts and politics lived together and both were supposed to belong to the people. They were songs of the pre-digital era and sounded best when sung to a crowd of cheering lads who wanted social change. He was into Left politics too, when some of the best were there. Today’s FB radicals wouldn’t be able to recognize that era when social change was just thought to be a few songs away. It didn’t happen of course, and for many reasons including history - but the legacy of the music stayed on. The past of a “people’s” cultural movement is now part of our memory but a strong one too. And much of that belonged to Fakir Alamgir bhai, now gone at 71. The 70s were the great years where culture flourished. There was no money, no dhandabazi - so those drawn to it were citizens genuinely interested in the arts. There was the mainstream so to speak but the sub-stream was no less strong. Often they would draw huge crowds. Part of that was because so many were part of the 'Great Dream': although none were fully sure what it was, it was a shared dream. Also read: Folk music legend Fakir Alamgir leaves the stage for the last time In the mass media era Fakir Alamgir sang all over Bangladesh but his favourite haunt was Dhaka University Arts building chattor. That’s where the young came to hear him and he sang for them. But by the end of the 70s the world had started to change in most ways and Left politics or whatever it was went into a steep decline from which it never recovered. Slowly as the economics grew mass media began to be strong. And the songs which most people will remember him by – his Sokhina songs – gained popularity on BTV reaching millions. Many of those who had heard him sing at DU were now tuning in their TV sets. We had been together in our 70s era but times were changing. I don’t know how much he knew that but there was a new crowd , new demands and a new society where many more products were competing. His original loyalists were now spread all over the world with remittance generation lovingly remembering him and spreading it on Youtube but he was never far away from the live crowd. Even as his voice aged and the lungs no longer reverberated with the pain and rage of the migrant forced to the city for survival longing for an imagined rural paradise they may never have had, the songs remained. Also read: Folk music legend Fakir Alamgir in ICU with Covid-19 The era closes In the end, he belonged and symbolized an era, one where songs contributed to social change, an active ingredient. Today’s songs are more reactive, produced by change and lifestyle. Almost everyone is a stranger here and now who belonged to his era. But he has still prevailed. That he is remembered for his songs decades after they were sung shows that the digital era actually served him, his songs and those who love him. So farewell Fakir Alamgir bhai, move on singing to another call from the crowd to sing one of their favourites again.  

IPDC Finance Limited has been awarded Intellectual Property Protection Award 2021 for its contribution to protect and present Bangla Folk music to the youth.  The award was announced in an online seminar on the importance of copyright on protecting intellectual property to celebrate International Copyright Day organized by the Bangladesh Copyright Office, according to a press release. State minister for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs K M Khaled was present as the  guest. Managing Director, and CEO of IPDC Mominul Islam represented IPDC Finance.  Also read: IPDC: Mominul Islam re-appointed MD, CEO for 4th time  Cultural Affairs secretary M Badrul Arefin, Department of Patent, Design & Trademarks secretary Md. Abdus Sattar, additional secretary of Ministry of Cultural Affairs and president of copyright board Shabiha Pervin and registrar Bangladesh Copyright Office Jafor Raja Chowdhury also attended the program.  The ministry has taken this initiative to attract creative personalities, intellectuals, eminent artistes, writers, and those closely involved in creative activities in the education and research profession.  IPDC has been awarded for its cautious effort of preventing the oblivious extinction of folk music and rekindle admiration among the younger generation.  Read IPDC Finance donates Tk 2 crore to PM’s Relief and Welfare Fund "With IPDC Amader Gaan, we have taken the initiative; however, our culture is glorious. I invite all to come forward and enrich this native culture. As we are economically advancing, our culture will be an asset for us; we must preserve it,” said MD and CEO of IPDC Finance Moninul Islam  To promote Bangladeshi folk music globally, IPDC Finance Limited created a virtual platform, 'IPDC Amader Gaan,' in September last year. Since its inception, the platform has released nine folk songs on its YouTube channel with the same title.   Also read: IPDC, BSCMS launch ‘Bangladesh Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2020’ The platform exclusively features diverse musical influences and offers studio-recorded performances by promising singers of the country.  Penned by several mystic bards, including Fakir Lalon Shah, Shah Abdul Karim, and Palli Kabi Jasimuddin, several covers received unparalleled popularity.  The channel alone has got 10M+ views, while the total views of the songs of 'IPDC Amader Gaan' on different channels of Youtube and Facebook have exceeded 100M. Read 'Folk Empress' Momotaz conferred honorary doctorate by Indian university

Momotaz Begum, leading Bangladeshi folk singer and MP, has been conferred an honorary doctorate by an Indian university. According to a post on her Facebook page on Monday night, the singer received this honorary degree from Global Human Peace University in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu for her contributions to folk music in her three-decade-long career. "Momotaz Begum has been awarded the prestigious 'Doctor of Music' by the university's founder and chairperson Dr P Manuel on April 10. The degree was presented to her, honoring her career and legacy for numerous achievements such as being the only music artist with a world record of 800 music albums, playing her role as a singer through upholding the pride of Bengali music in front of the entire world, popularising folk music in the society, achieving multiple National Awards in Bangladesh and engaging in many socio-cultural activities," the post read. Apart from enthralling Bangladeshi audiences the world over for the past 30 years, Momotaz Begum has also been actively engaged in politics since 2009. She is currently serving as a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the ruling party from the Manikganj-2 constituency.