Bulbul Chowdhury's 61st death anniversary today

Today (May 17) marks the 61st death anniversary of Nrityaguru Bulbul Chowdhury. Born Rashid Ahmed Chowdhury on January 1, 1919, he is regarded as a pioneer of modern dance in Bangladesh, as a founding figure of dance among the conservative Muslim community.

Born in Chittagong, Chowdhury earned Bachelor of Arts degree from the Scottish Church College in 1938, and Master of Arts from the University of Calcutta in 1943.

During the course of his secondary and graduate education in Calcutta, he came in contact with reputed artistes like sarodia Santosh Chandra, composer Timir Baran Bhattacharya, and dancers Uday Shankar and Sadhana Bose, who spurred his desire to excel as a dancer. His big break came in 1936 when he performed with danseuse Sadhana Bose in the Tagore dance-drama “Kach O Devajani”.

In January 1940, Chowdhury came to Dhaka with his troupe and performed a number of dance dramas. Back in Calcutta, he established Calcutta Culture Centre in 1941. During the World War II, he moved to Chittagong and worked at different places from 1943 to 1947. During 1950-1952, he performed in dance concerts in the unified Pakistan. In 1953, with his troupe, he visited Europe in countries including Britain, Ireland, Holland, Belgium and France. Chowdhury was declared as the National Dancer of Pakistan in 1949. By situating dance as part of the Mughal tradition, he challenged conservative Muslim attitudes towards dance, and helped in making dance gain social respectability and popularity.

Chowdhury was married to Afroza Bulbul Chowdhury, a dancer and actress. On this day in 1954, Chowdhury passed away in Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta), at the mere age of 35. After his death, Afroza founded the Bulbul Institute of Culture in Karachi and the Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA) in Dhaka, to uphold his legacy.

Compiled by Correspondent