“His melodies carried the essence of our motherland” - Gazi Mazharul Anwar

I knew Alauddin Ali from when he was very young. He was a talented, yet shy person. He was one of the best music directors of our country. A lesser known fact about him is that he produced the film, Malabodol. However, it wasn't commercially successful, and he did not produce any other film after that.

I used to visit Kolkata during festivals. One day, the owner of Concord Studio, Mr Chatterjee, asked me for some folk songs of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Alauddin was there at the time. I called him up and introduced him to Mr Chatterjee. At the time, I wrote the song, Bondhu Tin Din, composed by Alauddin and sung by Runa Laila. This song took Concord Studio to greater heights and is adored by listeners till date. Alauddin's melodies carried the essence of our motherland. His name is right up there with legends like Altaf Mahmud, Satya Saha and Subal Das, among others.

My daughter Dithi Anwar, who is also a singer, worked with Alauddin during his final active days. His spirit will remain alive through his creations. As a nation, it is our responsibility to honour and respect his work.