Badal Rahman

Eminent filmmaker and film society activist Badal Rahman passed away yesterday. A major cardiac arrest caused the death. The veteran filmmaker died early Friday morning (at around 4:30 am) at BIRDEM. He was 61. Rahman left behind two daughters and a son.
Rahman was the director of the first full-length feature film for children in Bangladesh, “Emiler Goenda Bahini (1980).” Till his demise, he was the president of the Federation of Film Societies of Bangladesh (FFSB).
Rahman's colleagues and fellow activists informed that Rahman was taken to BIRDEM Thursday evening after he was felling unwell. Doctors advised to get him admitted instantly. After a while he was feeling better and decided to get admitted later. At around 3:30 am on Friday he was feeling ill again. His son and daughters rushed him to BIRDEM, where he breathed his last.
The first namaz-e-janaza for Rahman was held at the Ramna mosque. The second janaza was held at FDC. Today, Rahman's body will be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar premises (from 10 to 11am) for the public to say their last goodbyes. He will be buried next to his wife at the Banani Graveyard today.
“Rahman's demise is a great loss for us who are still dreaming of a society of film enthusiasts,” said Sabbir Ahmed Chowdhury, who was the senior vice president of FFSB. Chowdhury will serve as the acting president of the organisation following Rahman's demise.
Born on June 4, 1949, Rahman completed his diploma in Film Editing from National Film and Television Institute of India, widely known as Pune Film Institute. He was amongst the first Bangladeshis to earn a film-related degree. After returning to Bangladesh, he, along with Syed Salahuddin Zaki, made his first film “Prottashar Shurjo” in 1974.
Rahman was actively involved with the film society movement in Bangladesh from its beginning. He also served as the president of FFSB from 1986 to '90. He was the convenor of the present movement to establish the national film policy. “Self Portrait” and “Shilpir Shilpo” are amongst his other notable films.
“When making a film for children, one cannot but get inspired by the work of Badal Rahman, as he was a pioneer. He was a leading activist in the film society movement in Bangladesh. He was congenial in nature,” said filmmaker Morshedul Islam.
Noted filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel echoed Islam's views and said, “We are deeply shocked by the news. Badal Rahman was a frontrunner in the movement for better films in Bangladesh. Films on and for children are few and far between in Bangladesh. Rahman's 'Emiler Goenda Bahini' was a groundbreaking work. Bangladesh film industry will definitely miss him.”