Yesterday marked the 98th birth anniversary of Pundit Barin Mazumder, the founder of Government Music College, Agargaon, Dhaka. In honour of the Pabna born musician a two-day long music festival was organised by Government Music College on its premises on February 14 and 15. Minister of Education Dr Dipu Moni, Senior Secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Department Md Sohrab Hossain, Director General of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Professor Dr Syed Md. Golam Faruk were present at the festival. Thespian Kamal Lohani and son of Barin Mazumder, Partha Sharathi Mazumder spoke on the life and contributions of Barin Mazumder at the inaugural session. Krishti Hefaz, Principal of the college presided over the inaugural session.
Noted singers and former music teachers of the college like Rezwana Chaudhury Bannya, Lily Islam performed in the festival along with former student Tapan Mahmud, Yakub Ali Khan, Mujib Pardesi, Music Teacher at University of Dhaka Priyanka Gope, bands 'Gan Pagal' and the band team of the college. The performers entertained the audience through the tunes of orchestra, acapella and classical music.
Department of Music of University of Dhaka, Rajshahi University, University of Development Alternative and Jagannath University; Dinajpur Music College; Shanta Mariam University of Creative Technology and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy rendered group performances in the festival.
Barin Mazumder was born on February 15 in 1921 in Pabna to a Zamindari family. He received musical education in Lucknow, India. During the partition he returned to the country. In 1963 he founded the Music College which came to be known as Government Music College from 1984 after the government took up the responsibility of running the college. Barin Mazumder died in 2000. He has been conferred with Ekushey Padak in 1983 and posthumously Independence Award in 2001.
