Intense times tend to raise intense art. The Liberation War in 1971 was an emotional period for Bangladeshis and the songs tapped a reservoir of emotions: hope, longing, loneliness, and love. During the liberation war, patriotic songs were transmitted from Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, a radio broadcasting centre in Kolkata, which later became a legend.
The songs transmitted from the radio station worked like fire in encouraging the freedom fighters on the battle fields and in the minds of general people seeking liberation. During the whole period of Liberation War, Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra successfully carried out its intellectual war like an organised front and aired patriotic songs which greatly inspired the freedom fighters in their relentless fight against the Pakistan-led occupation forces, war news and talk shows to boost up people’s spirit.
In a conversation with Dhaka Tribune, Rafiqul Alam, a freedom fighter and a music composer of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra during the war of independence, chalked out the formation of SBBK and its importance and functional value during the war.
“It was a surreal time of utter pandemonium and Mayhem. After the war broke out I went to Maldoho for training. My elder brother Sarwar Jahan was a famous singer and I was an aspiring one back then. A senior artist told me the war of independence is not supposed to be fought only with guns. He informed me about a revolutionary radio station was under process and asked me to join them as a vocal artist and that changed my fate forever,” he said.
Alam further added: “The broadcast of this radio station eventually became so inseparable from the ongoing war and was important to the freedom fighters also. Moreover, many prominent intellectuals, poets and journalists could contact us and give their suggestions through this station. This Radio station functioned like a forum which made the world understand our urge for freedom and our own ethnic tradition as a nation.”
“A song can motivate millions of people in an instant as it has done on many an occasions throughout our history,” said renowned singer Apel Mahmood, composer of legendary songs like Mora Ekti Phul Ke Bachabo, Ek Shagor Rokter Binimoye and many more. He believes music worked as a spiritual weapon, inspiring the freedom fighters to fight till the very end.
Recalling the history, Apel said: “The station went on air on 25 may, the birthday of rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. However, I joined the station on June 1. The news section was headed by Kamal Lohani. The news readers and announcers were Babul Aktar, Ali Reza, Mahtab, Motahar and so on.”
We used to broadcast programmes in Bangla, English and Urdu. Dramas, musical programmes and talk shows were parts of the regular transmission. There was also Charampatra by M R Akhter Mukul which gained huge popularity. We used to air special programmes on special days. At one point, we even surpassed Akashvani in the number of listeners.”
Apel said: “To me, the station was no less strong in fighting than any guns.”
Another rebel singer Fakir Alamgir believes that the biggest achievement of SBBK was to bring a huge number of artists and intellectuals to a single platform. “And the result is history. The awe inspiring songs during the war, and still now, have a huge impact on people as a nation. We the vocal fighters belong to a long chain of artists which includes George Harrison Joan Baez and many more.”