Staff Reporter :
People from all walks of life on Monday paid rich tributes to legendary lyricist, film director, producer and screenwriter Gazi Mazharul Anwar in the city’s Central Shaheed Minar.
He was buried in the grave beside his mother at Banani graveyard at 6pm after the third namaz-e-janaza in the Azad Mosque in Gulshan.
Gazi Mazharul Anwar died on Sunday at the age of 79. He has written more than 20,000 songs over the last 60 years. He has directed 41 films.
Gazi Mazharul Anwar’s body was taken to the Shaheed Minar at 11 am, where different cultural organizations and noted people paid last respect to the legendary lyricist and later his body was taken to the Bangladesh Film
Development Corporation (BFDC) at 12:30 pm.
“Songs like ‘Joy Bangla, Banglar Joy’ of legendary lyricist Gazi Mazharul Anwar had encouraged the freedom fighters and freedom lovers during the great Liberation War. The creative works of late Mazharul Anwar will be preserved in the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC),” Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters after placing a wreath on the coffin of Anwar, who was also an eminent film director and composer, at BFDC premises.
He also received ‘Ekushy Padak’ in 2002, ‘Swadhinata Padak’ in 2021 and National Film Award six times, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
He said Anwar will ever be remembered through his work. The death of the iconic personality is an irreparable loss to the culture and the nation as well, he added.
The minister said three of his songs have been included in the list of the “Twenty greatest Bengali songs”, prepared by BBC Bangla.
The minister prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
BFDC Managing Director Nuzhat Yesmin, Chhalachithra Parichalak Samity president Sohanur Rahman Sohan, directors Mushfiqur Rahman Gulzar and Shah Alam Kiran, Projojak-Paribeshak Samity leader Khorshed Alam Khasru, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote general secretary Arun Sarker Rana and actresses Rozina, Dilara, Aruna Biswas and actor Mizan Rahman, among others, were present.
However, Gazi Mazharul Anwar’s list of timeless songs includes “Joy Bangla, Banglar Joy”, “Achen Amar Moktar”, “Ektara Tui Desh Kotha Bol Re Abar Bol”, “Ganer Khatay Swaralipi Likhe”, “Shudhu Gaan Geye Porichoy”, “Ei Mon Tomake Dilam”, “Chokher Nojore Emoni Dilam”, among countless others.
Gazi Mazharul Anwar was born on February 22 in 1943 at Taleshwar village in Daudkandi upazila of Comilla. He started writing for Radio Pakistan from 1964.
