Gifted filmmaker Zahir Raihan disappeared on this day in 1972. He was trying to locate his brother, the famous writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and killed by the Pakistan army and local collaborators during the final days of the Liberation War.
Raihan was directly involved with the progressive movement of the country. He used to express his reactions to the movements with his cinema. He was an active worker of the Language Movement and participated in a procession on February 21, 1952, despite the ban on such activities.
He also took part in the mass upheaval in 1969. In 1971 he joined in the Liberation War of Bangladesh and created documentary films on this great event. During the war of liberation, Raihan went to Kolkata, where his film Jibon Theke Neya was shown.
The legendary filmmaker’s compilation includes Jiban Thekey Neya, Kancher Deyal and Sangam, which are considered as the very few classics in the history of our film industry. Because of its unique form and style, his documentary Stop Genocide featuring the brutality of the Pakistani military during the Liberation War has garnered international attention.
Zahir Raihan studied Bangla Literature from Dhaka University. In 1952, he went to Kolkata to learn photography and enrolled in Pramathesh Barua Memorial Photography School. He stepped into the film world as an assistant to the director of Jago Huya Sabera in 1957. Kakhono Asheni, his first film, was released in 1961.
A winner of Bangla Academy Award for his novel Hajar Bachhar Dhorey, Zahir Raihan had written several acclaimed literary works such as Shesh Bikeler Meye, Arek Falgun, Baraf Gola Nadi and Aar Koto Din. As a filmmaker Raihan is a noteworthy part of our film history in many ways. His Urdu film Sangam was the first colored film in undivided Pakistan. Another Urdu film, Bahana, directed by him, was made in cinemascope format.
For his contribution to films, Zahir Raihan received many national awards including Ekushey Padak and Swadhinata Padak.