Alamgir Kabir was a renowned Bangladeshi film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was born on January 26, 1938, in Dhaka, which is now the capital of Bangladesh. He is considered one of the pioneers of Bangladeshi cinema and was instrumental in establishing a new wave of filmmaking in the country.
Kabir started his career as a journalist and worked for several newspapers before venturing into filmmaking. He studied filmmaking in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and later worked as a film editor in Paris, France. He returned to Bangladesh in 1971, just before the country gained independence from Pakistan.
In 1972, Kabir directed his first film, “Titash Ekti Nadir Naam” (A River Called Titas), which is widely considered one of the greatest Bangladeshi films ever made. The film was based on a novel by the same name written by Adwaita Mallabarman and portrayed the life of fishermen living along the banks of the Titas River. The film was highly acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of rural life in Bangladesh and won several awards at international film festivals.
Kabir went on to direct several other critically acclaimed films, including “Jibon Theke Neya” (Taken from Life), “Golapi Ekhon Traine” (Golapi’s Train), “Abar Aranye” (In the Forest… Again), and “Dhaka 86” (made for TV). He also directed several documentaries and was known for his socially conscious and politically engaged filmmaking.
In addition to filmmaking, Kabir was also a prominent cultural activist and served as the president of the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies. He was also involved in the Bangladesh Liberation War and was a founding member of the Mukti Bahini, the Bangladeshi guerrilla force that fought against Pakistani forces during the war.
Alamgir Kabir passed away on July 5, 1989, at the age of 51. Despite his relatively short career, he left a lasting impact on Bangladeshi cinema and is remembered as one of the country’s greatest filmmakers.