Ferdausi Rahman

Biography

Ferdausi Rahman (née Begum; born 28 June 1941) is a Bangladeshi playback singer. She sang some popular film songs for Pakistani films also in the 1960s especially working with the music composer Robin Ghosh in the film Chakori (1967). She was awarded Ekushey Padak in 1977 and Independence Day Award in 1995 by the government of Bangladesh. She also got the 2015 Bangladesh National Film Award for Lifetime Achievement. She remains the only female to receive the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Music Director, for the film Megher Onek Rong (1976).

Early life

Ferdausi Begum was born to folk singer Abbasuddin Ahmed. She had two elder brothers, Justice Mustafa Kamal (d. 2015) and singer Mustafa Zaman Abbasi (d. 2025). Her nieces, Nashid Kamal, Samira Abbasi and Sharmini Abbasi, are also singers as is her grand niece Armeen Musa.

Career

Rahman participated as a child artiste in radio programmes. In 1955, she first sang for the radio as an adult artiste. The first released movie where she sang as a playback singer was Ehtesham's Ei Desh Tomar Amar under the music direction of Khan Ataur Rahman in 1959, followed by Asiya in 1960. Her father was one of the music directors of the film.
In 1964, her song was broadcast on the newly established Pakistan Television in erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
Her children's program Esho Gaan Shikhi on Bangladesh Television teaches children about music and has been running for 44 years. She is known as Gaaner Khalamoni (Aunt of Song) for this program. NTV has been airing a program of her songs presented by contemporary artistes.

Awards and honors

Lahore Cine Journalist Awards (1963)
President's Pride of Performance Award (1965) by the President of Pakistan
Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Music Director (1976)
Bachsas Awards (1976)
Ekushey Padak (1977)
Independence Day Award (1995)
Nasiruddin Gold Medal
A crest as part of the Gunijon Shongbordhona programme (2009)
Lifetime Achievement Award 2008 at the Meril Prothom Alo Awards.

Personal life

Rahman was married to Rezaur Rahman, an engineer and industrialist, from 1966 until his death in 2024. They had two sons, Rubaiyat Rahman and Razin Rahman.