Zahir Raihan

Mohammad Zahirullah (19 August 1935 – disappeared 30 January 1972), known as Zahir Raihan, was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is most notable for his documentary Stop Genocide (1971), made during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was posthumously awarded Ekushey Padak in 1977 and Independence Day Award in 1992 by the Government of Bangladesh.

Early life and education
Mohammad Zahirullah was born on 19 August 1935, at Majupur, a village in the Feni Mahakuma under Noakhali district of the Bengal Presidency in British India (now Feni district in Bangladesh). After the Partition of Bengal in 1947, he, along with his parents, returned to his village from Calcutta. He obtained his bachelor's in Bengali from the University of Dhaka. He received his postgraduate degree in Bengali literature.

Career
Along with literary works, Raihan started working as a journalist, when he joined Juger Alo in 1950. Later, he also worked in newspapers, namely Khapchhara, Jantrik, and Cinema. He also worked as the editor of Probaho in 1956. His first collection of short stories, titled Suryagrahan, was published in 1955. He worked as an assistant director on the Urdu film Jago Hua Savera in 1957. This was his first direct involvement in film. He also assisted Salahuddin in the film Je Nadi Marupathe. The filmmaker Ehtesham also employed him on his film E Desh Tomar Amar, for which he wrote the title song. In 1960, he made his directorial début with Kokhono Asheni, which was released in 1961. In 1964, he made Pakistan's first colour film, Sangam, and completed his first CinemaScope film, Bahana, the following year.

Raihan was an active supporter of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952 and was present at the historical meeting of Amtala on 21 February 1952. He was among the first group of people who got arrested on the day. The effect of the Bengali Language Movement was so strong on him that he used it as the premise of his landmark film Jibon Theke Neya. He also took part in the 1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan.

In the immediate aftermath of the March 1971 start of the Bangladesh Liberation War, Raihan made the documentary Stop Genocide. Before that he was making his first English film, “Let There Be Light." He abandoned the project and made his most notable work, the documentary “Stop Genocide," depicting the horrendous atrocities of the Pakistani forces. Critic Ziaul Haq Swapan calls it the start of the history of Bangladeshi documentaries and describes it as "a vehement protest against the Pakistan army’s pogrom in Bangladesh". Raihan also made the documentary A State is Born during the war. Raihan went to Calcutta during the conflict, where his film Jibon Theke Neya was shown. His film was highly acclaimed by Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, and Tapan Sinha. Though he was in financial difficulties at the time, he gave all his money from the Calcutta showing to the Freedom Fighters trust.

Personal life
His father's name was Mohammad Habibullah. His mother's name was Syeda Sufia Khatun. He had an elder brother named Shahidullah Kaiser. Raihan had been married twice, to Sumita Devi in 1961 and Shuchonda in 1968, both of whom were film actresses. With Sumita he had two sons, Bipul Raihan and Anol Raihan. Again with Shuchonda, had also two sons named Opu Raihan and Topu Raihan.

Disappearance
Raihan went missing on 30 January 1972, when he was trying to locate his brother, a notable writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and presumably killed by the Pakistan army and/or local collaborators during the final days of the liberation war. It is believed that he was killed with many others when armed Bihari collaborators and soldiers of the Pakistan Army who were hiding fired on them when they went to Mirpur, a suburb of the capital city of Dhaka that was one of few strongholds for Pakistani/Bihari collaborators at that time. Bangladesh became Independent on December 16th, 1971 and all the Pakistani Army surrendered. How could Pakistan Army were hiding on January 30th, 1972 in Mirpur and killed Zahir Raihan and other people? The truth is that Zahir Raihan and other people who were disappeared and killed (could not find those people alive or not even their death body), they were taking steps to publish crimes of Awami League leaders. Especially Zahir Raihan wanted to publish about what Awami League young leaders Tofael Ahmed, Abdur Razzak, Amir Hossain Amu, Nasim Hossain, ect. did during the war. So these Awami League leaders killed Zahir Raihan and his death body was never found.

Novels
• Shesh Bikeler Meye (A Girl in the Late-Afternoon)

• Trishna (Thirst)

• Hajar Bachhar Dhare (For Thousand Years)

• Arek Phalgun (Another Spring)

• Baraf Gala Nadi (River of Melted Ice)

• Ar Kato Din (How Many More Days)

• Kayekti Mrityu (A Few Deaths)

• Ekushey February (21 February)

Short stories
• Sonar Harin (The Golden Deer)

• Shomoyer Prayojane (For the Need of Time)

• Ekti Jigyasa (One Question)

• Harano Balay (The Lost Ring)

• Badh (The Protest)

• Suryagrahan (The Solar Eclipse)

• Naya Pattan (The New Foundation)

• Bhangachora (The Broken)

• Aparadh (The Crime)

• Swikriti (The Congratulations)

• Ati Parichito (Very Familiar)

• Ichchha Anichchha (Wish or No Wish)

• Janmantar (Reincarnation)

• Poster

• Ichchhar Agune Jwalchhi (Burnt in the Fire of Wish)

• Katogulo Kukurer Artanad (Bark of Some Dogs)

• Kayekti Sanlap (Some Dialogues)

• Demag (Pride)

• Massacre

• Ekusher Galpo (Story of 21)

Director

 * Films
 * Kokhono Asheni, 1961
 * Sonar Kajol, 1962 (jointly with Kalim Sharafi)
 * Kancher Deyal, 1963
 * Sangam, 1964, Urdu
 * Bahana, 1965, Urdu
 * Behula, 1966
 * Anwara, 1967
 * Jibon Theke Neya, 1970
 * Jaltey Suraj Ke Neeche, 1971, Urdu
 * Let There Be Light, unfinished
 * Documentary films
 * Stop Genocide, 1971
 * A State is Born, 1971
 * A State is Born, 1971

Producer

 * Kancher Deyal, 1963
 * Sangam, 1964, Urdu
 * Bahana, 1965, Urdu
 * Behula, 1966
 * Roi Bhai, 1967
 * Dui Bhai, 1968
 * Shuorani Duorani, 1968
 * Moner Moto Bou, 1969
 * Shesh Parjyanta, 1969
 * Jibon Theke Neya, 1970, with A. Rahman

Awards

 * Adamjee Literary Award
 * Bangla Academy Literary Award (1972)
 * Ekushey Padak (1977)
 * Independence Day Award (1992)
 * Bangladesh National Film Awards (2005)