Sanjeeb Chowdhury - A Tribute to the humanist
Ultimate destiny of an individual is death. Yet if death comes untimely and takes away the life of a creative individual who at that time is at the peak of his/her career then we, all of his/her near and dear ones, well-wishers, friends and fans cannot but be shocked. This was the case when news broke out on November 19, 2007 of the sudden demise of Sanjeeb Chowdhury, renowned singer and journalist. At noon that day when Sanjeeb’s body was brought over to TSC, Dhaka University, a shared sense of great loss engrossed those who gathered there to pay their last homage. Thousands of grief-stricken people from all spheres of the society — consisting of noted artists, singers, journalists, politicians, well-wishers, friends and fans — were there. At a time when his profound songs captured the interest of this generation, when he had more to give to the cultural realm, his premature death created an irreparable void.
Sanjeeb’s deep hypnotising voice, appealing lyrics and soulful music drew the young; he was always the focus of attention at concerts. Songs rendered by him like “Gari choley na,” “Ami tomakei boley debo,” “Tumi amar bahanno tash,” “Bioscope” and more are in the list of contemporary favourites; these will continue to be sources of inspiration for the generations yet to come.
Sanjeeb’s identity should not be confined to just singing. With his versatility, Sanjeeb treaded different spheres of our cultural domain and left and indelible mark. He was writer, poet, actor, journalist, organiser, political activist and what not. Many of his scholarly write-ups and poems, published in different national dailies and weeklies as well as in different little magazines, were highly esteemed by critics and readers. “Rush Print,” the only published poetic work of Sanjeeb, was much admired by many of the leading poets of the country. Perhaps, his most successful endeavour was in the field of journalism. He worked as a mentor to many of today’s established journalists who worked for “Bhorer Kagaj” or “Ajker Kagoj.” In this context, journalist Nobonita Chowdhury of the BBC Bangla Service commented, “Sanjeebda shaped our lives and we never took the opportunity to thank him. He never wanted any recognition from anyone he mentored. According to her, “Whoever you are, wherever you are — if you had belonged to Sanjeebda’s group once, you’d remain forever in his heart and he’d always greet you with a warm smile and hug.”
I knew Sanjeeb as my batch-mate at Dhaka University. I can’t recall the specific date when I first met him. It was in 1981, when we started to pursue our honours degrees at Dhaka University. Within a short span of time we became close friends. We could freely open up to each other and this camaraderie remained throughout our university lives. Although academically we were not in the same discipline (I studied physics while he started studying mathematics and ended with journalism!), it did not hinder our friendship. This was because of his broad view and all pervading charm.
In his university days, Sanjeeb was an ideal political activist. Socialism was his political ideology and he dreamt of a classless society. Eventually he joined Chhatro Union, the student front of CPB, and worked for its cultural wing. During the Ershad regime in the ’90s, for obvious reasons, we, the students of Dhaka University were proactive in politics and took part in the mass movement against the dictatorship. During this movement, in the processions on the streets, Sanjeeb was always on the forefront.
The essence of his political ideology influenced his write-ups, poems and lyrics. Naturally his verses reflect love for all. I assume it is this love for humanity that led him to donate his body to the Anatomy Department of Dhaka Medical College for research. This was surely a difficult decision, especially if we consider the religious bindings concerning last rites. Even in death, Sanjeeb maintained his conviction.
Source: The Daily Star, November 20, 2008
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Sanjib da was a great person