| Azam Khan আজম খান |
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mahbubul Haque Khan |
| Born | February 28, 1950 |
| Died | June 5, 2011 (aged 61) |
| Occupations | Pop Singer, Songwriter |
Azam Khan (Bengali: আজম খান; February 28, 1950 – June 5, 2011), full name Mahbubul Haque Khan, was a Bangladeshi Rock singer. He was the pioneer in Bengali Rock music. He founded a band called Uchcharon (Bengali: উচ্চারণ meaning "Enunciation") in the early 1970s.[1] He is honored as Guru of Rock & Pop Music in Bangladesh.[2] Khan, together with pop music contemporaries Fakir Alamgir, Ferdous Wahid, Firoz Shai, Najma Zaman and Pilu Momtaz is credited with pioneering and popularizing Bangla pop music in the years immediately following the country's independence.[3]
He was a Freedom fighter in Sector 2 under late Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and fought against the Pakistani army in the Liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971.[4] After the war, he introduced an energetic brand of music. His first concert in television was broadcasted in 1972 in Bangladesh Television. His popular tunes included "Ore Saleka, Ore Maleka", "Jibone Kichhu Pabona Re", "Ami Jare Chaire", "Ashi Ashi Bole Tumi", "Obhimani", "Rail liner bostite", "Hei Allah Hei Allah Re", "Alal O Dulal" etc.
Azam Khan died on 5 June 2011 at Dhaka CMH hospital at age 61.[5] He was suffering from oral cancer which had spread to his lungs. His death came 14 days after the passing of another early Bangladeshi pop music pioneer, Pilu Momtaz.[3]