TBT REPORT
The heartbreaking incident of the rape and brutal murder of young Ramisa has deeply moved people across the country. Reflecting the pain, anger and demand for justice surrounding the tragedy, lyricist and composer Mahbubul Khalid has written a song titled Ramisader Bichar (Justice for Ramisa).
The song includes lines such as, “Ramisa suddenly joined Achiya, while justice for Tanu’s murder remains pending, and Nusrat is still in line.” Mahbubul Khalid has also composed the song. He is joined on vocals by Tutul, SaregamaPa fame Avanti Sithi and Shera Kontho winner Rafsan. Singita, Nitu, Surabhi Roman and Rusho have contributed vocals to the chorus.
The song was released on Saturday, August 15, through the Khalid Sangeet YouTube channel, Facebook page and website.
The music video for Ramisader Bichar was created with the assistance of AI. Mahbubul Khalid, Rafsan, Tutul, Inaina and Ichha appear in the video, which was produced by Saifur Rahman Sujon.
Speaking about the new song, Mahbubul Khalid said, “I consider speaking for abused, oppressed and neglected people one of the responsibilities of my artistic practice. Ramisa’s murder, like people across the country, has also brought me to tears. The song was actually written earlier. After composing it, I felt that involving more artists would make its impact more complete. Avanti Sithi is a talented singer, and I felt Rafsan and Tutul were also perfect for this song. We used AI in the video to accurately convey the overall message and emotional appeal of the song. I hope listeners will like it. If the lyrics and subject matter manage to touch people’s conscience even slightly, I will consider our effort worthwhile.”
Mahbubul Khalid has previously written songs addressing various social injustices, irregularities and humanitarian crises. He has also written songs about patriotism, nature, religious and social festivals, public awareness and sports. His work spans various genres, including protest songs, folk music, hamd and naat, children’s songs, patriotic songs, romantic music and spiritual compositions.
His song Aduri, written about Aduri, a child domestic worker who was subjected to abuse in Mirpur, Dhaka, portrayed the harsh reality of violence against children. His song Felanire Korlo Guli, written about the killing of Felani at the border, also received significant attention. Following the abuse of child Achiya in Magura, he wrote Magurar Phul. For this song, lyricist and composer Mahbubul Khalid received a BAIFA Award.
His musical repertoire also includes songs addressing international crises such as the situations in Palestine and among the Rohingya, as well as songs centered on football and cricket World Cups.
