Kabir Suman gets candid

Renowned singer Kabir Suman has refused to appear on a show in Dhaka after receiving an offer from media personality Anjan Roy. He had received the offer on June 1, as Roy had requested him to come to Dhaka for a show. The great artiste has been a beloved figure in both Bengals, as he has songs about the life, struggles and liberation war of Bangladesh.

Suman confirmed the news to The Daily Star over the phone. “The people of Bangladesh are kind-hearted, and I know that they love me a lot,” says Suman, “However, I do not know why some people in-charge are against me coming to Bangladesh.” This, of course, was a reference to the time when the artiste was denied a performance in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy despite all preparations being complete.

The singer further added that in 1996 and in 1998, he had raised funds from his concert and donated money to the Liberation War Museum. After the incident regarding the cancelled show, he was hurt and did not want to go back to Bangladesh. The singer has since mentioned that he was not going to change his decision.

“I personally approached him on messenger. I believe if we cannot pay respect to him, it is a shame for us,” says Anjan Roy.

“Sabina and I have tried to do a lot for the people of Bangladesh. I will try to contribute even from here,” says Suman, “A lot of people do not know that during the flooding in 1998, Sabina and I went to Australia to organise a charity show at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. We bared all the expenses. We did it out of our love for the people of Bangladesh.”

Even though Kabir Suman is from Kolkata, he has always shown concern during Bangaldesh's hardest times, which includes the Shahbagh incident in 2013 and the recent Rohingya issue. Bangabandhu's speech from 7th March plays a great role in the artiste's life. “The speech has given me the courage to fight my own battles. He was not only a leader of Bangladeshi people, but he was a leader of all Bengali people,” says Suman.