AK Ratul, vocalist and bassist of popular Bangladeshi band ‘Owned’ and son of late legendary actor Jashim, passed away Sunday afternoon after suffering a cardiac arrest while working out at a gym in Dhaka’s Uttara area.
The news was confirmed to the media by Siam Ibn Alam, lyricist of the band.
According to Siam, Ratul suddenly fell ill during his workout at a local gym at around 3:30pm. He was first taken to Uttara Crescent Hospital and later transferred to Lubana General Hospital, where on-duty physicians pronounced him dead.
His untimely death has sparked an outpouring of grief on social media, with fans, fellow musicians, and admirers expressing their condolences and shock.
Ratul, along with his band ‘Owned’, carved a unique identity in the country’s rock music scene. The band gained a dedicated following after releasing their debut album ‘One’ in 2014 and their second album Two in 2017, both of which were well received by music lovers.
Besides being a vocalist and bassist, Ratul was also widely respected as a music producer. He was known for his contributions behind the scenes in shaping the sound of many popular albums by several prominent Bangladeshi bands.
AK Sami, AK Ratul and AK Rahul — the three sons of the late popular silver screen actor Jashim — have all been involved in the music scene. In 2007, Sami and Ratul, the elder brothers, founded the band ‘Owned’ with a shared dream of becoming musicians, forming the group with five members. The youngest brother, AK Rahul, is currently a member of the band Trainwreck.
Their father, Jashim, died on October 8, 1998, following a brain haemorrhage.
Ratul’s sudden and untimely death marks a significant loss to the country’s contemporary music industry.
