Band icon Shafin Ahmed dies

Shafin Ahmed, iconic band artists and former frontman of the legendary Bangladeshi band Miles, has passed away at a hospital in Virginia, United States, at the age of 63.

The popular Bangladeshi rock bassist, singer-songwriter and record producer breathed his last at about 6:50am on Thursday (Bangladesh local time) at the hospital while on life support.

His wife Nahin Ahmed said that Shafin died of a heart attack.

According to his family, Shafin had a concert scheduled on July 20 in Virginia. But as he suddenly fell ill, the concert was canceled. He was admitted to the hospital immediately and put on life support as his condition worsened.

He died there while undergoing treatment.

Shafin Ahmed was born on February 14, 1961, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He was the youngest son of pioneer music artists Kamal Dasgupta and Feroza Begum. He joined the Bangladeshi rock band Miles in 1979.

Alongside his brother and another iconic Bangladeshi music artist, Hamin Ahmed, he performed in Miles first as an acoustic guitarist and later became the band’s lead singer and bassist in 1991.

After moving to Dhaka during childhood, Shafin Ahmed began his musical career at the age of nine by taking lessons about Nazrul Sangeet, courtesy of his iconic parents. He was exposed to Western musical influences since he studied in England, along with his elder brother Hamin Ahmed, after completing his schooling at the St Joseph Higher Secondary School in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Shafin Ahmed simultaneously made his place in the country’s music industry as one of its most popular and iconic singers, courtesy of his popular songs, including ‘Aj Jonmodin Tomar’, which is often considered as the anthem of birthday celebrations in the country. Written and composed by eminent music producer Prince Mahmud, the song was first featured in Prince’s mixed album Daag Theke Jay (2004).

As the frontman of Miles, Shafin Ahmed is also acclaimed for many popular and superhit tracks, including ‘Phiriye Dao’, ‘Dhiki Dhiki’, ‘Neela’, ‘Chad Tara Surjo’,”Ki Jaadu’, ‘Jani Tumi’ and more.

He also released several solo albums, including Tomakey (1987), Pagla Ghonti (1998), Chobi Ar Sritigulo (1999), Best of Shafin Ahmed (2001), Kotodin Dekhina Tomay (2006), Virus (2006), Harano Shukh (2007), My Love Songs (2010), and Mone Pore Aj (Nazrul Songs, as a tribute to his mother Feroza Begum, 2016).

Besides his successful musical career, Shafin Ahmed also took part in the nation’s politics and even contested at the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) in 2019 for the mayor position from the Jatiya Party.