Zahir Raihan, born Mohammad Zahirullah on August 19, 1935, in Majupur village of Feni District, Bangladesh, was a distinguished novelist, writer, and filmmaker renowned for his vast contributions to Bangladeshi culture and cinema. He actively participated in the 1952 Bengali Language Movement, an influence reflected later in his films. Raihan’s first directorial debut was the film Kokhono Asheni (1961), and he is credited with making Pakistan’s first color film, Sangam (1964), as well as the first CinemaScope film, Bahana (1965).
His 1970 film Jibon Theke Neya is celebrated as a landmark in Bangladeshi cinema, allegorically depicting the oppression under Pakistani rule before independence. During the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Raihan created the powerful documentary Stop Genocide, exposing the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military. This work remains highly significant in the history of Bangladeshi documentary filmmaking.
Tragically, Raihan disappeared on January 30, 1972, while searching for his brother, the writer Shahidullah Kaiser, amidst the turmoil following independence. Posthumously, he received numerous national honors including the Ekushey Padak (1977) and the Independence Day Award (1992). Besides filmmaking, Raihan was also a prolific literary figure, winning awards such as the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1972.
His life and works continue to inspire generations, symbolizing artistic courage and national identity in Bangladesh. Raihan was also involved as an assistant director in early films such as Jago Hua Savera (1957) and contributed as a lyricist and writer in multiple projects. He profoundly influenced Bangladesh’s film and literary landscape until his untimely disappearance.