Receiving Eidi was a great joy back then: Rafiqul Alam
Veteran singer Rafiqul Alam has been enchanting audiences with his music for decades. Renowned for his melodious voice, he has earned admiration both at home and abroad and has played a significant role in enriching Bangladesh’s musical landscape.
Even now, he remains actively involved in music. Speaking to The Daily Star, the celebrated artiste looked back on the Eids of his childhood. “I spent most of my childhood in Rajshahi,” Rafiqul Alam recalls. “That is where our home is. In Rajshahi city, there is a well-known area called Sagorpara. Back then, five houses stood there, and they all belonged to our extended family.”
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. He adds, “We were four brothers and two sisters. Including our cousins, there were 21 members in the family at the time. During Eid, we naturally became a large group. We never needed anyone from outside to create fun and excitement—we created all the joy ourselves.”
When asked what he would usually do on Eid day as a child, he says with a smile, “We used to fly kites. That was our main activity. One of my cousins knew how to make kites, so we would start preparing them before Eid. After finishing the Eid prayers, we would rush off with our kites and spend the day flying them.”
New Eid clothes were also part of the tradition, though Rafiqul Alam admits the choice was never really his. “I didn’t particularly choose them myself,” he says. “My father would take me to the tailor’s shop and pick the fabric. That’s how my Eid outfits were made. Those memories are truly unforgettable.”
Interestingly, the tradition of Eidi (Eid money) was not common in his paternal home. “We didn’t have the custom of giving Eidi in our family,” he explains, “but it was practised at my maternal grandparents’ house. Receiving Eidi back then was a great joy. Now, of course, I’m the one who has to give it—whether I want to or not,” he adds with a laugh.
Yet reflecting on those childhood days can also bring a sense of sadness. “I try not to become too nostalgic,” he says quietly. “It makes me feel a bit heavy-hearted. That’s why I don’t always want to revisit those memories.”
This Eid, the singer will be staying in Dhaka. “I’ll be spending the holiday here with my family,” he shares. On the musical front, he is also preparing to release a new song this Eid. The composition is by Foad Nasser Babu, with lyrics written by Moniruzzaman Monir. The track will premiere on a YouTube channel and will also be broadcast on a private television network.
“It’s turned out to be a very beautiful song,” Rafiqul Alam says with evident satisfaction.
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