A discordant Bangladeshi singer with a large internet following was caught by the police at dawn and asked to stop his melody lacking renditions of classical songs.
The singer who calls himself “Hero” Alom, has mustered nearly two million Facebook followers and almost 1.5 million on Youtube with his unique singing and captivating videos.
One of his popular numbers, “Arabian Song”, in which he is showcased in traditional Arab clothing on a sand dune, with camels inserted in the background, has received 17 million views.
But he is not bereft of critics’ contempt, especially for his versions of classical songs of two adored national treasures, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Bangladesh`s national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Alom told sources that he was mentally harassed by the police who asked him to stop performing classical songs. He was also called too ugly to be a singer, and was asked to sign an “apology” bond. He said the police caught him at 6 A.M. and kept him there for 8 hours. They questioned why he sang Rabindra and Nazrul songs.
Dhaka’s chief detective Harun ur Rashid informed reporters that Alom had said sorry for singing the beloved songs and for wearing police uniforms without permission in his videos.
Harun said in matter of fact tone, that they had received many complaints against him. But, now he has promised that he won’t repeat this and that he has changed his style of singing.
After his ordeal, Alam released a new video showcasing him behind the bars in a prison outfit, trilling mournfully that he is about to be hanged.
Despite his tuneless singing, Alom received a lot of support on social media, with commentators and activists calling the arrest an attack on individual rights.
“I am not a fan of your songs or your acting. But if there is an attempt to muzzle your voice, I stand up against it,” journalist Aditya Arafat posted.
“Don’t be broken. You are a hero. No matter what others say, you are a real hero,” Sanjida Khatun Rakhi wrote on Alom’s Facebook page.
Alom shares that he has acted in many films and has also participated in Bangladesh’s parliamentary election in 2018, as an independent candidate – gathering 638 votes. He also said that he started using the name “Hero” after gathering popularity in his home district of Bogra, 150 kilometres (95 miles) north of Dhaka.
“I felt like I was a hero. So I took the name Hero Alom. I won’t drop this name no matter what,” he said.”At present, it seems you can’t even sing with freedom in Bangladesh.”
