'Hok Kolorob' famed lyricist Rajib Ashraf no more

Rajib Ashraf
UNB

"Hok Kolorob" famed lyricist and filmmaker Rajib Ashraf has passed away.

He breathed his last on Friday morning while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, reports news agency UNB.

Rajib's elder brother Ashraful Aaam Babu, and friend and musician Sina Hasan confirmed the news of his demise to the media.

Rajib had been suffering from asthma for a while and was taken to the hospital after his condition deteriorated last night, said Sina.

Rajib's namaz-e-janaza will take place at Baitul Mukarram Mosque  after Asr prayer on Friday. After that he will be laid to rest at Jannatul Mawa Graveyard in Mirpur-11 , he added.

Celebrities and his close acquaintances have been sharing their grief and love for the revered lyricist on their social media handles after being informed about his untimely demise.

Regarded as one of the most talented and versatile lyricists in the modern era of Bangladeshi urban music, Rajib Ashraf garnered massive popularity for his collaborations with musician Arnob.

With "Hok Kolrob", the title track of Arnob’s second studio album, Rajib became popular among music lovers for his lyrics.

The duo then worked on creating a handful of fan-favourite tracks, including "Prokrito Jol", "Naam Chilo Na", "Ghum", "Dhushor Megh", "Rod Boleche Hobe", "Protiddhoni", "Ekta Meye", "Mon Kharaper Ekta Bikel," and also the song "Boka Chad" for Redoan Rony’s film "Icecream".

He also penned lyrics for the telefilms made by cellular company Airtel, including popular songs such as "Jolkona Ure Jay", "Bhalobashi tai bhalobeshe jai", and more, as well as jingles for companies including Banglalink, Mojo, Seven Up, and Banglalink.

A passionate creative in the commercial and documentary filmmaking industries, Rajib worked for several creative agencies and also made a film on the Bangladesh Games.

Rajib Ashraf has also acted in plays and telefilms, including Ashutosh Sujan's "Tiner Tolowar," Animesh Aich's "Holud," Nurul Alam Atique's "Mojider Television," and Amitabh Reza's "Ekta Phone Kora Jabe Please."

His last televised interview was broadcast on Maasranga Television as part of its "Ranga Sakal" talk show back in August this year.