Bidit Lal Das

Here is a revised, improved memorial biography based strictly on well-sourced and verifiable information:

Bidit Lal Das (15 June 1936 – 8 October 2012), affectionately known as Potol Babu, was a distinguished Bangladeshi folk singer, composer, music teacher, and one of the artists associated with Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. He was born in Sheikhghat, Sylhet (then British India), and passed away in Dhaka, Bangladesh (en.wikipedia.org).

Born into a culturally rich zamindar family, Bidit Lal Das was the son of Binod Lal Das—a member of the Assam Legislative Assembly—and mother Prabha Rani Das, a sitar player (en.wikipedia.org). He began learning music around age seven and later studied under masters including Paresh Chakraborty in India, spending nearly two decades under his tutelage (archive.thedailystar.net).

During his career, he became known for composing and popularizing many folk songs, including:

• "Sadher Lau Banailo More Bairagi"
• "Kare Dekhabo Moner Dukkho Go Ami Buk Chiria"
• "Sylhet Prothom Ajan Dhoni Babai Diachhey"
• "Pran Kande More Mon Kande Ray"
• "Moriley Kandishna Amar Dai" (archive.thedailystar.net).

He also served as the president of the Sylhet chapter of the Bangladesh Sangeet Sangathan Samannay Parishad and founded the group Bidit Lal Das O Shohoshilpibrindo to further cultural activities in the region (en.wikipedia.org).

In 2004, he established Nilom Sangitaloy, a music school in Sylhet, named in memory of his second son Nilom, who died at age four (archive.thedailystar.net).

Bidit Lal Das passed away on 8 October 2012 in Dhaka after suffering from illnesses related to his bladder and lungs. He had been hospitalized first in Sylhet, then transferred to Square Hospital in Dhaka, where he was placed on life support from 4 October (en.wikipedia.org). Following his death, tributes were held at Sylhet Betar and the Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar, and his final rites were conducted at the cremation ground in Chalibandar, Sylhet (archive.thedailystar.net).

Bidit Lal Das received several honors for his contributions to folk music, including awards from Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (Gunijan Award), Sylhet Lok Sangeet Parishad, Nazrul Academy, and a posthumous National Radharman Dutta Medal and Hasan Raja Medal (en.wikipedia.org).

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