Sadi Mohammad: And the silence echoed

Most of Mohammadpur's numerous alleyways are named after rulers from antiquity. A notable departure from this trend is Salimullah road, which is named after an Awami League leader, who played an important role during the most crucial period in Bangladesh's history.

Throughout the anti-Pakistan movement, his Mohammadpur home served as a crucial covert meeting place for strategising various resistance activities. Many non-Bangalis, including Biharis, lived around his house. He had good relations with them in general, or so he thought.

On 23 March 1971, he hoisted the flag of independent Bangladesh on the roof of that very house. Even on the fateful night of 25 March, legendary leaders such as Abdul Quddus Makhan, Nur Alam Ziku, Sheikh Kamal etc. convened at his house. 

On the morning after the 25 March crackdown, he was advised to flee. But he refused to leave his home. Later that day, he went to the mosque to offer Friday prayers. At the end of the prayer, non-Bangalis chased him out of the mosque. When he sought refuge at his home, the mob poured petrol on his house and set it on fire.

Salimullah then tried to escape by scaling the back wall of the house. But he couldn't. A neighbour saw him running away and stabbed him from behind. Salimullah cried and fell to the ground.

His eldest son, Sadi Mohammad, who had witnessed it all, would later go on to light up the cultural arena of Bangladesh, but these events would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

One cannot help but wonder if it was this very trauma combined with grief of losing his mother that led the legendary singer to take his life. 

As one Bangladesh's last great male Rabindra sangeet voice falls silent, the era in which the great poet's songs played a central role in our celebrations and ceremonies is at an apparent end. 

And to think Sadi was not even supposed to become a musician. He was studying to become a civil engineer but Rabindranath claimed him. He left his engineering studies at BUET for Shantiniketan, going on to earn his Honours and Masters degrees from Visva-Bharati University on Rabindra Sangeet.

He dedicated his whole life to imparting what he had learned in Shantiniketan. Besides rendering hundreds of Tagore's songs in his melodious voice, he was also a composer and music director. 

He debuted as a music composer with the album "Amakey Khujey Pabey Bhorer Shishirey." His albums "Srabon Akashey" and "Sharthok Janom Amar" were released in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Sadi also lent his voice to numerous movies and television dramas.

Throughout his illustrious career, he received a number of prestigious awards, including the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from Channel i in 2012 and the "Rabindra Award" from Bangla Academy in 2015. He was also the founder and director of the cultural organisation, Rabi Raag.

Sadi Mohammad breathed his last at the age of 70  in the evening of 13 March at his home in Mohammadpur. His brother, the acclaimed dancer Shibli Mohammed, was the one who confirmed his passing.

He mentioned that Sadi had been playing on his tanpura and practicing his music earlier in the evening and it was the unusual silence from Sadi's room that prompted Shibli to forcefully enter, only to find Sadi no longer alive.

Shagotik Lohan, an emergency doctor at Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College Hospital, observed signs suggesting that Sadi had chosen to end his own life. This tragic event followed the death of their mother, Jebunnesha Salimullah, last July.

"Since our mother passed away last year, Sadi bhai had been suffering from severe depression. He had an incredible bond with our mother. Since then, we all have been trying to keep him living a normal life. But, in the end, it was not enough," said Shibli.

Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya, another Rabindra Sangeet maestro and someone who had known Sadi for ages, stated it must have been the passing of his mother that triggered Sadi's clinical depression.
"I cannot express my grief in words. This is very upsetting. This is a result of severe levels of depression that have been building inside him for a long time," said Bannya.

"Death is always upsetting. If it was a natural death, it would've been easier for us to accept it, but his unnatural  death left us questioning what went so wrong that he decided to take such a step leaving his life and all the worldly attractions behind," Bannya added. 

Shaheen Samad, a renowned singer and a close family friend of Sadi's is also in a state of mourning and reminisced their times together. Shaheen was actually a close friend of Sadi's elder sister and that is how she got to hangout with Sadi.

"I visited their house innumerable times. Sadi was an incredibly kind-hearted person and artist. His contribution to the music world will be remembered by listeners and fans forever," she said.

Singer Samina Chowdhury feels incredibly restless at the thought of Shibli Mohammad and the remaining family members of Sadi. She despondently said, "Forget about us, how could Sadi bhai not think about his own brother before taking his own life! He left all of us in tears!"

Prominent Nazrul sangeet singer Sujit Mustafa also penned a few words in memory of his fellow musician. He took to Facebook and wrote, " Sadi bhai, what you did was not right. How could you? Do you even realise how many people love you? Fare well on the other side, Sadi bhai."

Sadi Mohammad was not only a beloved brother to his nine siblings, including noted dancer Shibli Mohammad, but a brotherly figure to the entire cultural fraternity. As his tanpura falls silent, Bangla music will miss it forevermore. His silence will echo.