Stripe’s Song of the Day: Abbasuddin Ahmed - O Mon Ramjaner Oi Rojar Sheshe

92 years since it was composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, the melodious tune and meaningful lyrics still lift the soul

Few songs feel as timeless as ‘O Mon Ramjaner Oi Rojar Sheshe’, a song nearly synonymous with Eid in Bangladesh.

In the 92 years since it was written by Bangladesh’s national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam, the song has become a standard. It is inextricable from how Muslims mark the end of a month of fasting and the start of their most significant annual festival. Its keen melody emanates from radios and televisions across the nation on Eid Day, heralding a time of joy.

Nazrul, the poet, musician, and revolutionary who plays such a significant role in Bangladesh’s culture and history, wrote the song specifically to greet his fellow devotees.

The lyrics celebrate the elation of Eid Day, but also contain deeper wisdom. Nazrul urges Muslims to donate their wealth to the poor, to put aside distinctions of friend or foe and embrace the entire world, to use the stones hurled at them to build a mosque of love.

The first recording of the song was made four days after its composition by singer and folk music composer Abbasuddin Ahmed. It was released by the His Master’s Voice label two months later, in February 1932, right before Eid-ul-Fitr.

His original rendition, soulful and moving, can still be heard and stands as a testament to the power of art to unite people and delight in the human experience.

As a difficult month of high prices and heat comes to an end, let us rejoice and hope for a brighter future of peace, prosperity and harmony.

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.