Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artist Malay Kumar Ganguly has died. Tabla artiste Pallab told the media that Ganguly passed away at 9:20 pm on Sunday, January 12, while receiving treatment at the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh in Dhaka. He was 80.
Ganguly had long suffered from heart disease and lung complications. Hospital authorities placed his body in the cold storage of the National Heart Institute in Dhaka at around 2:00 am on Monday.
Ganguly’s only daughter lives in Australia and will return to Bangladesh on Monday night, January 13. The family will decide on his last rites after her arrival.
Born in 1946 in Muzaffarpur village of Kendua in Netrokona, Ganguly travelled to Kolkata during the Liberation War of 1971 and joined Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. During his time at the radio station, he performed the song ‘Ore O Bangali Aar Kotokaal Thakbi Ghumete Hoye Bibhor’, written and composed by SM Abdul Gani Bokhari.
He later gained wider recognition for singing ‘Guru Upay Bolo Na’ in the film ‘Putrobodhu’, which featured the late actor Prabir Mitra on screen. Ganguly also provided playback vocals for several other films, including ‘Amar Monto Bose Na’.
In addition, Ganguly composed and originally sang the controversial song ‘Jodi Rat Pohale Shona Jeto’, written by Hasan Matiur Rahman. Sabina Yasmin later re-recorded the song.
