Zahidur Rahim
{{infobox musical artist
| name = Zahidur Rahim
| native_name = জাহেদুর রহিম
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_date = {{circa|1935}}
| birth_place = Bogra, Bengal Presidency, British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1978|06|18|1935|df=y}}
| genre = Rabindra Sangeet
| instruments = Vocals
}}
Zahidur Rahim ({{circa|1935}} – 18 June 1978){{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-93018|title=Commemorating Tagore artiste Zahidur Rahim on Desh TV|date=2009-06-18|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-01-09|language=en}} was a Bangladeshi Rabindra Sangeet exponent.{{cite Banglapedia |author=Islam, Sirajul|article=Rahim, Zahidur}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-95146|title=A musical tribute to Zahidur Rahim|date=2009-07-02|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-01-09|language=en}} He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2000 by the Government of Bangladesh.{{cite news|url= http://www.moca.gov.bd/site/page/c706da0c-29ee-4f0f-95d9-fa6705e19001/|script-title=bn:একুশে পদকপ্রাপ্ত সুধীবৃন্দ|access-date=23 August 2017|publisher=Government of Bangladesh|language=bn|trans-title=Ekushey Padak winners list}}
Early life and education
Zahidur Rahim Babu was born in {{circa|1935}} in the Bogra District of the Bengal Presidency. He belonged to a Bengali Muslim family and his father, Abdur Rahim, was from the village of Lochnapara in Shahzadpur, Sirajganj District. Rahim moved to Dhaka in his early life. He graduated with a commerce degree from the University of Dhaka in 1957. He learnt music from musician Atiqul Islam and later at Bulbul Lalitakala Academy.
Career
Rahim first worked in Philips and in the Education Department. He got admitted to Bulbul Lalitakala Academy and passed the music course with credit in 1961. He then joined the academy as a faculty member. His first record of Tagore songs was published in 1972.
Rahim was one of the founders of Chhayanaut and was serving as the General Secretary at the time of his death. He taught in Chhayanaut, Agnibhina, Murchhana, Altaf Mahmud Sangit Niketan, Nazrul Parishad and others. He worked at Bangladesh Radio as a music producer until 1977.
When the Pakistan Government prohibited the singing of Tagore songs in the 1960s, he continued to sing Tagore songs at various meetings and cultural functions, ignoring the threats of the government. He widely popularised the Tagore song, Amar Sonar Bangla, which later became the national anthem. Through his performances of Tagore songs, Zahidur Rahim made valuable contributions to the reawakening of Bengali nationalism in the 1960s.
Abdul Wadud, Papia Sarwar, Chanchal Khan, Roquaiya Hasina Neely and Iftekar Hossain Sohel were among Rahim's students.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-44981|title=Abdul Wadud: A gifted, yet underexposed artiste|date=2008-07-10|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-01-09|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/interview/geetosudha-celebrates-21-years-1517431|title=Geetosudha celebrates 21 years|date=2018-01-10|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-01-09|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-131454|title=The many shades of Rabindra Sangeet|date=2010-03-25|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-01-09|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-39386|title=Sohel's heightened music sense|date=2008-06-03|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2018-01-09|language=en}}
References
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Category:People from Pabna District
Category:University of Dhaka alumni
Category:Rabindra Sangeet exponents