In a sombre turn of events, the eminent Rabindra Sangeet artiste, Sadi Mohammad, passed away on Wednesday evening at the age of 69. His demise was confirmed by his brother, distinguished dancer Shibli Mohammad, and family friend, dancer Shamim Ara Neepa, who relayed the news to the media.
He was laid to rest at the Mohammadpur Jame Masjid Complex Graveyard, with burial rites held yesterday at 2 pm following the Zuhr prayers.
Detailing the events of Wednesday, Shibli shared, "After breaking his fast, my brother went to his room to practice. Then he told his assistant, 'You go out, I'll finish practice and then call you.' Then, I went to his room and found the door closed from the inside, which felt strange to me. He never closes the door during rehearsals. Even after knocking hard, there was no response from inside. Later, I said, 'Break the door.' Breaking the door and what I saw inside..."
Shibli expressed to the media, "My brother took his own life. He felt no value. Seeing how many people are receiving awards, all of this bothered him a lot. We tried to make him understand that people love us. What good will awards do? But he was troubled by that. He left us burdened by that pain."
Shibli continued, deeply saddened, "If my brother received any national recognition, he would not have been so miserable. Sadi Mohammad is my mentor, my inspiration – so when I received the Ekushey Padak ahead of him, I told him 'I will not take the Ekushey Padak.' However, he asked me, 'Why not? You've done so much for Bangladesh in the field of dance.' Later, when I gave him a card to attend the Ekushey Padak ceremony, he said, 'I won't go. You go. I won't go there.' Many will question why I didn't receive the award. These things will haunt us."
The cause behind Sadi Mohammad's untimely passing remains undisclosed. Hailing as one of the country's foremost Rabindra Sangeet exponents, Sadi Mohammad obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in Rabindra Sangeet from Visva-Bharati University in India.
Having made his debut as a composer in 2007, Sadi Mohammad released notable albums like "Amakey Khujey Pabey Bhorer Shishirey," "Shraban Akash" in 2009, and "Sarthak Janam Amar" in 2012. Beyond his contributions as a musician and composer, Sadi also lent his voice to playback numbers in various films and dramas.
Tragically, Sadi Mohammad's family had a history marked by loss, with his father, Salimullah, being assassinated during the Liberation War.
His passing has cast a profound shadow over the country's cultural sphere, mourning the loss of a revered figure in Rabindra Sangeet.
