Popular Bangladeshi singer Nazmun Munira Nancy has voiced deep concern over the future of playback singing, saying Bangladesh’s music industry faces one of its most challenging periods.
Although she has returned to playback after a long break, she said the industry’s current difficulties outweigh the excitement of recording a new film song.
Nancy recently recorded a romantic duet with Imran for Shikar, directed by Kamruzzaman Roman. She praised the song’s lyrics and composition but rejected claims that she had resumed playback singing on a regular basis.
“Many people think my work has increased since the political change, but that is not the reality,” Nancy said. “I have recorded playback for only two films in the past two years. I sang for Domm, but the song did not appear in the film and was released only on YouTube. My latest playback is for Shikar.”
She attributed the decline in playback work to the shrinking number of commercial films in Bangladesh. According to Nancy, mainstream commercial cinema now centres largely on Shakib Khan, while many films from the new wave do not feature songs.
She questioned the future of playback singing by asking whether the industry has produced any regular female playback singers after herself, Kona and Konal, or any regular male playback singer after Imran. “Are we becoming the last generation of playback singers?” she asked.
Nancy said the audio music industry also continues to struggle. Although she recently released her new song, E Shohor Jane, she said the industry no longer produces songs at the previous rate. She added that major production houses have lost interest in investing in new music, leaving many singers without opportunities to release fresh songs.
She also expressed disappointment over the concert scene. Nancy said she performed at only one event last month. She said open-air concerts have almost disappeared because organisers fear security risks and mob violence. She urged the government to act quickly to control mob violence, warning that the country’s cultural sector would suffer further if the situation continued.
Nancy also called for stronger oversight of government-funded films. She said authorities should not stop at providing grants but should also evaluate the quality of completed films to ensure public funds do not go to waste.
Despite expectations of significant progress in arts and culture after the change in government, Nancy said she has yet to witness visible improvements. However, she believes the government should receive more time. She also stressed that no country can achieve overall progress if it neglects its arts and culture.
