Today is the 53rd disappearance day of the eminent filmmaker, fiction writer and freedom fighter Zahir Raihan.
Born at Majupur in Feni on August 19, 1935, Zahir Raihan started his career as a journalist in 1950 and eventually became editor of Prabaho in 1956.
He made his directorial debut as an assistant director with 鈥楯ago Huya Savera鈥� in 1957. He also assisted Salahuddin in the film 鈥楯e Nadi Marupathe鈥�. He made the then Pakistan鈥檚 first colour film 鈥楽angam鈥� in 1964, and completed his first cinemascope film titled Bahana in the following year.
Apart from being a filmmaker, he is one of the acclaimed fiction writers of Bangla literature. His first collection of short stories was published under the header Suryagrahan in 1955.
Zahir Raihan was also present at the historic meeting of Amtala on February 21, 1952. He was overwhelmed greatly by the historic Language Movement and later made his acclaimed film 鈥楯iban Theke Neya鈥� based on the movement. The film was praised by the likes of Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Ritwik Ghatak.
Besides taking part in the 1969 mass uprising, the writer-filmmaker joined the War of Independence and made several documentary films on the war, including 鈥楽top Genocide鈥�.
The literary works of Zahir Raihan include Shesh Bikeler Meye, Trishna, Hajar Bachhar Dhare, Arek Phalgun, Baraf Gala Nadi and Kayekti Mrityu.
On January 30, 1972, he disappeared while trying to locate his brother, Shahidullah Kaiser, who was last seen in December 1971.
