The High Court on Tuesday directed the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove the Oscar-winning Indian music director AR Rahmans rendition of Kazi Nazrul Islams iconic song Karar Oi Louho Kopat in the Bollywood film Pippa from all online platforms.
In response to a writ petition, the HC bench comprising Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Rajik Al Jalil came up with the order following a writ petition filed by Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir on behalf of the Law and Live Foundation Trust and 10 lawyers of the Bangladesh Supreme Court.
The writ petitioners are Supreme Court lawyers Bayezid Hossain, Naim Sardar, Barrister Solaiman Tushar, Barrister Mahdi Zaman, Barrister Sheikh Moinul Karim, Barrister Ahmed Farzad, Shahidul Islam, Md Shahid Siddiqui, Md Anas Mia, and Md Bahauddin Al Imran.
On December 6, they filed the writ petition after not getting response to a legal notice sent to remove AR Rahmans rendition of Karar Oi Louho Kopat.
According to the notice, AR Rahman recomposed the highly popular and historically significant song Karar Oi Louho Kopat by poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The song was used in a Hindi film named Pippa. Although Rahman kept the original lyrics, he changed the tune. This song, originally composed and established by Nazrul, has been a source of inspiration in our revolutionary struggles and movements. Kazi Nazrul Islam, the Rebel Poet, is Bangladeshs National Poet. The notice added Karar Oi Louho Kopat is an immortal song over a century old. It spoke out against all forms of injustice and impunity and was written with an anti-British sentiment. Having two versions of the same song - one in Nazruls original tune and another in a distorted tune - would lead to confusion for future generations.
His poetry is our intellectual treasure, and the notice demanded that the original tune be preserved.
On November 19, a legal notice was sent for the removal of the song, naming the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, ICT Division, secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), and the Kabi Nazrul Institute as defendants.
Kazi Nazrul Islam composed Karar Oi Louho Kopat in protest of the arrest of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das by the British government. The song was published in the book Bhangar Gaan in 1924. Immediately after its publication, on November 11, 1924, the British government banned Bhangar Gaan. Later, after Indias independence, Bhangar Gaan was republished. In 1949, music director Kalipada Sen recorded the song for the film Chattagram Astraghar Lunthan directed by Nirmal Chowdhury, with Girin Chakraborty and his co-artists. The song was also used in Zahir Raihans film Jibon Theke Neya in 1969-70.
