সঙ্গীত শিক্ষার্থী সম্মিলন - A School of Music 3.5

History of the Music Institute:

Pandit Surendra Narayan Das was an accomplished exponent of Indian Classical Music, who was a distinguished disciple of Ustaad Alauddin Khan, Pandit Giriza Shankar Chakraborty and Maharaja Brazendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury.

Among them, Surendra's learning was greatly influenced by Pandit Giriza Shankar Chakraborty. Giriza was a famous musician of Bishnupur Gharana, Bishnupur, West Bengal, India. The Gharana indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology.

After receiving advance knowledge in classical music from the renowned musicians of Kolkata, India, Pandit Surendra Narayan Das decided to reside back in Comilla, Bangladesh during 1935. After residing, he started teaching music. Because of his jovial personality and openness, huge number of students/ music lover started to gather in his house in Talpukur Par (west), Comilla. The then time, he became familiar with most of the respected personalities of Comilla.

The spirit of traditional music was started to spread within the region but, because of lack of structured music schools in Comilla region during the British era, music students were suffering a lot. As there was no platform to perform, students felt demoralized. It's apparently true that, a persons's self actualization won't come by performing in own house. She/he must expose the internal talent in front of the general mass.

Influencing by the ideology of Bishnupur Gharana and for spreading the knowledge of Classical Music, Surendra urged to establish a music school in Comilla. During 1940s, he started to organize a monthly music conference in Comilla Town Hall. It was assembled to judge the learning of current students as well as to upfront confidence among themselves to perform a bigger platform. The conference was highly appreciated the then time. The essence of this conference was increasing day by day and attracted audiences and artists from all across the district and region.

Establishment Phase:

Although the monthly conference became an attraction point day by day, but the civil society also felt the lack of a structured music school in Comilla. After consulting with all the notable personalities, during 1942, Panditji established the music institute and named as "Sangeet Shikhharthee Sammilan- A School of Music".

Within a short time, the reputation of the school started to spread all over the country and at present era, the school established itself as a premier music institution with an increasing number of students being enrolled. Its mission is to apply the spirit of traditional music in preparing the young generation to become thoughtful citizens. Over the last six decades, the institute has gained a unique position in arts education, providing structured courses to students of all ages, i.e. children, adolescents, young and adults.

Pandit Surendra Narayan Das played the role of Principal of this institute till his last breath in 1986. From 1942 till present around 4500+ students trained from this institute. The institute produces a lot of quality singers and those are well established in the arena of Classical music, Bangla Songs like Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Sangeet etc in Bangladesh


Faculty ( Teachers):

1. Alaka Das
2. Ram Prasad Das
3. Subrata Das
4. Manas Kumar Das
5. Tapas Kumar Das
6. Md. Nazmul Alam


Present Committee of Sangeet Shikhharthee Sammilan:

1. Principal :
Alaka Das

2. General Secretary:
Manas Kumar Das

3. Asst. General Secretary:
Dipanjan Das

4. Adviser:
Prity Ranjan Roy

5. Executive Member :
Subrata Das
Tapas Kumar Das
Babul Kumar Ghanta

6. General Member :
Ramprasad Das
Pranab Kumar Das
Beauty Das
Md. Nazmul Alam
Dipanwita Das
Nilanjan Das

Notable Alumni:

1. Late Mina Banarjee ( Stood 3rd in All India Music Conference in 1936, Record four Nazrul Sangeets in HMV Gramophone under direct supervision of the legend Kamal Dasgupta).
2. Late Ratna Datta ( Gold Medalist in 1942).
3. Late Mira Dasgupta ( was enlisted in Kolkata Betar, India as music artist).
4. Late Chitra Datta ( Gold Medalist & 1st Class from Music Dept, in Kolkata University in 1943)Late Rani Datta ( was enlisted in Kolkata Betar).
5. Late Ranu Roy ( was enlisted in Dhaka Betar, Bangladesh as music artist).
6. Late Md. Hossain Khan ( was enlisted as a Tabla Player in Dhaka Betar).
7. Late Bani Datta.
8. Late Sudhin Das ( Legendary artist of Nazrul Sangeet, Awarded by Ekushe Award (highest civilian award in Bangladesh), Sharolipikar of Nazrul Sangeet, Music Composer).
9. Nilema Das (Renowned artist of Nazrul Sangeet, Rewarded by Nazrul Padak, Awarded lifetime honor by Channel i).
10. Late Dilip Sinha Roy.
11. Late Sudhir Brahma ( was enlisted in Kolkata Betar, India).
12. Late Ajay Sinha Roy (renowned classical musician).
13. Late Nihar Ranjan Das.
14. Late Fatik Saha.
15. Late Nani Brahma.
16. Late Ashu Battacahrya ( Renowned tabla player).
17. Late Ajit Bhowmick.
18. Bashori Vadra ( enlisted in Chittagong Betar, Bangladesh as music artist).
19. Kaniz Zobaida ( enlisted in Chittagong Betar as music artist).
20. Premasish Chowdhury.
21. Beethi Vadra ( Gold Medalist in Music from Govt. of Pakistan).
22. Rehana Ashikur Rahman ( renowned artist of Nazrul Sangeet).
23. Joyontee Lala (enlisted. in Chittagong Betar as music artist).
24. Late Anjali Das
25. Principal Alaka Das (Active in the field of Classical music in Bangladesh for more than 50 years).
26. Advocate Ram Prasad Das.
27. Subrata Das (enlisted in Bangladesh Television and Dhaka Betar as music artist).
28. Manas Kumar Das (renowned artist of Nazrul Sangeet and Classical Music).
29. Tapas Kumar Das (enlisted in Television and Dhaka Betar as music artist).
30. Beauty Das (enlisted in Television and Dhaka Betar as music artist).
31. Abhijeet Saha Pinak ( Renowned artist of Nazrul Sangeet).
32. Shefali Pal.
33. Nahid Bani Islaam.
34. Roma Pal.
35. Titas Meherunnesa ( enlisted in Comilla Betar as music artist).
36. Sharmin Sathi Islaam ( renowned Artist of Nazrul Sangeet, Senior Teacher of Nazrul Sangeet dept. in Chhayanaut, Dhaka.
37. Shapan Sen ( Principal, Sangeet Niketan Music School, Chandpur).
38. Nasima Akhter (enlisted in BTV & Dhaka Betar as music artist).
39. Amia Chakroborty (enlisted in BTV & Dhaka Betar as music artist).
40. Gurudas Bhattacharjee (enlisted in Dhaka Betar as music artist).
41. Golam Rasul (enlisted in Dhaka Betar as music artist).
42. Babul Kumar Ghanta ( enlisted in Comilla Betar as music artist).
43. Late. Shapan Banik (enlisted in Dhaka betar as music artist).
44. Babul Charkaborty (enlisted in Comilla Betar as music artist).
45. Dilip Das
46. Banan Biswas ( enlisted in Chittagong Betar as music artist).
47. Papri Barua ( enlisted in Dhaka Betar as music artist).
48. Sraboni Bhoumick (enlisted in Dhaka Betar as music artist).
49. Shankar Achyarya (enlisted in BTV & Chittagong Betar).
50. Showkat Hayder Hiron (enlisted in Dhaka Betar as music artist).
51. Nadia Farzana Islaam (enlistedin Dhaka Betar as music artist).
52. Ajoy Das (enlisted in BTV & Chittagong Betar).
53. Shymol Majumder (enlisted in BTV & Chittagong Betar).
54. Layla Arjumand (enlisted in Dhaka Betar).
55. Tanjira Nur (enlisted in Dhaka Betar).
56. Srabonti Battacharya ( enlisted in Dhaka Betar, stood 2nd in all Bangladesh Nazrul Sangeet Competition in Chittagong in 1997).
57. Dipanwita Das ( enlisted in Dhaka Betar as music artist)

In a nutshell, it can be stated that the history of traditional music in Bangladesh is very rich because time after time highly qualified music maestros contributed a lot to enrich this. As music is an established subject of higher education at present era now, so the duties and responsibilities of the music schools are gradually increasing. And as a consequence, many institutes and organizations are providing intensive training on classical music in the different towns and cities in Bangladesh.

Although music is a subject of teacher lineage education, music of different Gharanas has reached a common point due to time, electronic media and modern instruments. The concept of Gharana is presented differently in this century. With cultural exchange program, a listener can learn Dhrupad and Dhamar as a tradition, though they are not popular. Today Khayal, Thumri and Ghazal are very popularly and easily available.

It is a common hope that, music of Bangladesh will flourish more and more in future and an esteemed music school like Sangeet Shikhharthee Sammilan will contribute at its best in this regard and will carry forward the musicological ideology of Pandit Surendra Narayan Das.