Ayub Bachchu sole owner of LRB, only heirs can run it: Copyright Office

Late Ayub Bachchu is the sole owner of LRB and no-one else but his heirs have the legal right to run the band, according to the Copyright Office.

Ayub Bachchu, who popularised rock music in Bangladesh, dies

The popular band and its logo were registered by only Bachchu, the vocalist and lead guitarist, following his application in 2010, Atiquzzaman Atique, an inspector at the Copyright Office, told bdnews24.com on Tuesday.

The issue has come to the fore after a recent drama over the naming of the band following a claim of Bachchu’s family that the remaining members should not run it after his death on Oct 18 last year.

“We postponed concerts booked for Pahela Baishakh under the name ‘LRB’ due to objection by the boss’ (Bachchu’s) family,” the band’s Manager Shamim Ahmed said.

Bachchu formed the band in the early 90s with bassist Saidul Hasan Swapan, Habib Anwar Joy on drums, and SI Tutul on keyboard.

With Joy and Tutul having left the band, Swapan is the only living founding member now.

Shamim, the sound engineer, lead guitarist Abdullah Al Masud, and drummer Golamur Rahman Romel have been with the band for over a decade.

On Apr 5, the remaining members announced inclusion of Kazi Md Ali Zahangir Balam as the vocalist.

But following objection by Bachchu’s family, they said they would operate with the name Balam and the Legacy, not LRB.

“It’s a new band. But many thought LRB transformed into the new band as the members are from LRB,” Shamim said. 

“We aren’t materialistic. Maybe he had done it for our own good. We are involved only in music when we do it. We want to uphold his legacy,” he said about the registration of the band by Bachchu.

Ahnaf Tazwar Ayub and Fairuz Safrar Ayub, the two children of Bachchu, could not be contacted for comments.    

Ahnaf had performed with LRB in Chattogram last year before the death of his father.

“Boss wanted him (Ahnaf) to study. So we never pressured him (to join the band),” Shamim said.

He added the remaining members of LRB will wait for a call from Bachchu’s family to perform as LRB.