Bidit Lal Das

Bidit Lal Das (commonly known as Potol Babu; 15 June 1936 – 8 October 2012) was an artist of Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. He is a legendary folk singer, composer and music teacher. He composed notable Bengali folk songs including "Shadher Lau Banailo Morey Boiragi", "Kare Dekhabo Moner Dukkho Go Ami Buk Chiria", "Sylhet Prothom Ajan Dhoni Babai Diachhey", "Pran Kande More Mon Kande Ray" and "Moriley Kandishna Amar Dai". He was an artist of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra.

Early life
Bidit Lal was born on 15 June 1938 in Sheikhghat, Sylhet to a noble zamindar parivaar (landlord family) called "lalbrother's house". His grandfather Bonk Bihari Das was a local zamindar. He was a Pakwaj Badhak. His family was associated with the Indian Congress Party. Bidit's father binod Lal Das was a Member of Parliament of the Assam Parliament and mother Prabha Rani Das was good in playing setar. So music was in his blood. Bidit is the fifth among his siblings. He owes his music to Ustad Pranesh Das. Later he studied music under Indian maestro Paresh Chakraborty. Although he is widely known as a man of music, everyone in Sylhet knows him by his nickname, 'Patal Babu'. When he was a 9-year-old child, India was divided on communal lines. But the Das family members ignored communalism and remained in the native land. Bidit Lal Das was immediately initiated into the ineffable mantra of love for the country. Growing up, he witnessed communal riots, cultural animosity; He felt the pain of being trapped in the circle of subjugation. That situation awakened his artistic spirit. He choose music as a medium to dispel the darkness. He spread own culture by music to the world. He continued to move forward with his conviction. Bidit Lal Das took music as his life partner at the age of 7. Since then, drifting in the sea of music and music. He has composed the songs of many lyricists including Hasanraja, Radharaman, Ghiyas Uddin. Apart from the songs of mysterious poets, he played a commendable role in collecting and promoting the extinct folk music of Sylhet. He was engaged in collecting Zari, Sari, Bhatiali and Dhamail songs. Moved to Assam in 1946. He started his education there. His teacher for learning music was his Ustad Ful Mohammad. He was a science student of the famous Shillong Saint Advance School and College. He returned to Sylhet after hearing the news of his father's illness in 1959.

Music career
Bidit Lal Das has composed several popular songs during his career. Notable among his composed songs are "Kare.Sileti Sari Songs. Among the many popular songs composed by him, 16 songs are notable namely: 1. Sadher Lau Banailo More Bairagi, 2. morilay kandish na amar day 3. Sylhet pratam azan dhoni babay diyache 4. kare dekhabo moner dukkho go 5. Binodini go tor brindaban kare diye jabi 6. ami kemon kore potro likhi re 7. Pran kande man kandere, 8. Bhramar kayo giya, 9. premer mora jole dube na. 10. Hasan Raja bole O Allah, 11. ami jaimu allahr songe. 12. sona didi go 13. moron kotha soron hoilo na tor 14. tumi rahamat er nadiya. 15. moron kotha soron hoilo na tor 16. shesht bia'r Sanai. The song 'Morile Kandis Na Amar Day' written by poet Ghiyas Uddin, composed by Vidit Lal Das, gained sky-high popularity thanks to late Humayun Ahmad, one of best Bengali literature's lyricists. Humayun Ahmed loved the song immensely. Humayun Ahmad said in reference to the song during his lifetime, "The time will come." i will die I have told all my family, immediately after I die, Quran Sharif, even before Surah Yunush should be played, 'Morile Qandis Na Amar Day. He has also composed music for Hashan Raja, Radharaman Dutta, and Ghiyas Uddin. He has composed the music for the plays Sirajuddaula, Dwipantar, Taapsee, Pradipshikha, Bisarjan, and Surma's Banke Banke. He formed a singing group in 1972. He performed songs with this group in many countries including London, China. Bidit Lal Das has gained fame in the world of music by composing the words of many renowned folk poets including the Marmi poet Hasan Raja. He has a palace-like house in Sheikhghat area of Sylhet. Since 2004, he has established a music education institution called 'Neelamba Loksangitaloy' in front of the house. Vidit Lal Das was one of the few artists who have been practicing folk music for a long time and have continued research on folk music in different regions of Bangladesh. Inspired by Hasan Raja's songs, this artist who started his journey in the world of music also started his music practice with Hassan's songs. At a time when Hasan Raja's songs were hard to come by, he collected his songs and sang them himself and also sang them to others. bidit Lal Das is one of the artists who played a leading role in popularizing Hasan Raja's songs. Until his death, his dream was to establish a college-university on Hasan Raja in Sylhet or a museum of mystic poets. He has also released a book called Surma Parer Gan. Although he did not get the national award, he got the love of the people. He has also been honored at the national and international level. Apart from the meritorious felicitations of the Bangladesh Art Academy, he has received numerous awards, felicitations and honors at home and abroad.

Das was a noted singer-composer and Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artist. During 1971, liberation war he was also vocal during the liberation war. He formed a music group in India with popular artistes of that time. This group collects money through various events and spends it on the liberation war and support of wouned freedom fighters. After Liberation War, he founded an organization called "Bidit Lal Das O Shohoshilpibrindo". Bangladeshi vocalist Subir Nandi learned folk music from Bidit Lal Das. Subir nandi was a member of the musical group "Bidit Lal Das O Shohoshilpibrindo", which was founded in 1972. Other members of the troupe were Akramul Islam, Jamaluddin Banna, Rakhal Chakrabarty, Himangshu Goswami, Himangshu Biswas, Dulal Bhowmik and others. They used to perform as a group and travelled many countries like China, India, the USA, the UK and Norway.

The group sang the song "Sadh Er Lau Banailo More Boiragi" in many performances, as it was a huge hit though incomplete. Composed by Bidit Lal Das, the number was completed with joint efforts by Ustad Rashbihari Chakrabarty and Kobi Giasuddin. It became so famous that Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman invited the troupe to his home. Subir Nandi was fortunate to be there with the team, and came to limelight gradually. later some top members of this group left country and settled in Uk. but Bidit lal das never left his motherland. He was the president of Bangladesh Sangeet Sangathan Samannay Parishad's Sylhet chapter. He was known as one of the leading figures of regional songs of Sylhet and had composed several songs that went on to become classics. His "Moriley kandish na amar daye" is still rendered fondly by million of listeners. "Ami kemon korey potro likhi" was also his creation. "Shadher lau banailo morey boiragi", composed by him, continues to intoxicate the listener to date. Bidit Lal Das never left Sylhet permanently. He loved Sylhet with all his heart.

Personal life
Bidit Lal Das married Kanak Rani Das in 1968. The couple had two sons. Their elder son Biswajit lal das Neelam, who died young at 1984. Biditlal Das could not accept the death of his son Neelam. His memory haunted him. In 2002, as a token of his love for his son, he established 'Neelam Lok Sangeetalaya' in Sheikhghat area of Sylhet city. He established this school with the aim of promoting the healthy flow of folk music. At the end of his life, he spent most of his time in the vicinity of students. He had a dream to take this music school to college level. The other child of this couple is BiswadIp Lal Das (Bashu). After Bidit Lal Das passed away, his son Biswadip Lal Das and his students formed "Bidit Lal Das smriti parishad" - a folk festival organized on his anniversaries.

Death
He was 77 years old at the time of his death. He suffered from bladder and lung disease. He was admitted to the Allied Critical Care Hospital in Sylhet on 7 September 2012. When the condition worsened, he was admitted to Square Hospital in Dhaka on 21 September. He was on life support from 4 October. After paying respects at Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar, his last rites were held at Shashan in Chalibandar.

Awards

 * Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Gunijan Award
 * Indian folk reception in Calcutta
 * Sylhet Lok Sangeet Parishad Award
 * Nazrul Academy Award
 * Ragib Rabeya Foundation Ekushey Padak
 * Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Gunijan reception
 * National Radharman Dutta Medal (Posthumous)
 * Hasan Raja Medal (Posthumous)