The concert for 1.5 million people and the unfulfilled dream of Ayub Bachchu

Ayub Bachchu had a dream once. He wanted to stand before 1.5 million people with a guitar in his hands. Famous local and foreign musicians would share the stage with him. The crowd would lose themselves in the music and magic of his guitar.

The legend of Bangladeshi band music dreamed of holding this mega concert at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka. He had another dream to host a competition for young guitar players. He also dreamed of building a guitar school for new learners for them to practice and build their skills.

None of these dreams came true. On 18 October 2018, Ayub Bachchu's journey came to a sudden halt. Eight years have passed since then. Today, his dreams still remain. So do his guitars.

Ayub Bachchu would have been 64 years old if he was alive today. Maybe he would have given us many more great songs. Maybe he would have handed guitars to new artistes. Or maybe he would be playing on the stage of that dream concert on an autumn evening.

But we will never know how his presence would have shaped Bangladesh’s band music today. How he would work with the new generation. But his incomplete dreams remind us of this one truth that Ayub Bachchu never made music just for himself. He always wanted to do something much bigger for music.

To Ayub Bachchu, the guitar was not just an instrument. It was the biggest part of his life. Walking onto the stage with a guitar, sharing his feelings through music and cheering up the crowd—this became his true identity.

Music lovers at home and abroad knew him as a guitar wizard. But Ayub Bachchu did not just want to impress audiences. He also thought about nurturing a new generation of guitarists.

Bachchu wanted to hold a competition for fresh guitarists. His plan was to gift winners instruments from his own prized collection. The very guitars he had rocked stages with for years would one day be handed over to fresh talents. However, due to a lack of required sponsorship and support, the plan was never carried out.

In the same way, Bachchu dreamed of setting up a guitar school. He wanted to teach other instruments there as well, not just guitars. His goal was to build an environment where fresh talents could learn instruments institutionally, hone their crafts and prepare themselves comprehensively to pursue music as a profession.

If Bachchu were alive today, he might have tried to make that school happen. He could use his own experience to teach young people guitar tricks, love for music and the value of daily practice. Under his care, a new group of guitarists could have grown. They could take Bengali band music forward in their own way. We will never know for sure what would have happened. But it is clear that he truly wanted to do something good for the youth.

Ayub Bachchu brought a special energy to every concert. He sang well, but his guitar playing was even more magical. On stage with a guitar, he looked like a different person. Sometimes he created a storm with his guitar strings. Sometimes his long solos took listeners to another world.

Bachchu once shared his plan for this dream concert with this reporter during a friendly chat. He wanted to arrange a huge concert at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka. Both local and international musicians would play on the same stage. From abroad, he wanted famous American guitarists Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Carlos Santana. He also wanted British drummer Ian Paice. Among local artists, he wanted James, Bassbaba Sumon, and Manam Ahmed by his side.

Talking about that dream event, Bachchu had said, "We will play for about three hours. And there will be 1.5 million people in the crowd. That will be our dream concert."

When he said this, he pictured a giant stage, a sea of people and an evening filled with guitar tunes. But that concert never took place. Eight years have passed since he died. The dream of playing guitar before 1.5 million people on Manik Mia Avenue remains unfulfilled.

Ayub Bachchu was born on 16 August 1962 in Chattogram. He loved music from his childhood. His practice started after he got his first guitar from his father. Watching Nayan Munshi play guitar on BTV made him even more interested. Then he began to teach himself. Through sheer practice and hard work, he became famous as an iconic guitarist to Bengalis all over the world. He became an inspiration to other artists too.

Early in his career, he played with several bands. Later, he joined the band 'Souls'. While working there, he built his name as a guitarist, composer, and music director. Then, on 5 April 1991, he started his own band—'Little River Band', or LRB. Later, the full form became 'Love Runs Blind'. His time with LRB is a golden chapter in the history of Bengali band music.

Songs like Shei Tumi, Cholo Bodle Jai, Koshto Pete Bhalobashi, Rupali Guitar, Ferari Mon, and Ekhon Onek Raat are still loved by listeners today. His guitar playing mixed the power of rock, the sadness of blues, and the sweetness of melody. He made the guitar speak like a human voice, not just an accompanying instrument.

Bachchu's music does not belong to just one generation. Today's youth still listen to his songs, sing them, and experiment with them. If he were alive today, he might have worked with these young artists. He could learn new styles from them and share the stage with them. His experience and their new ideas could have created wonderful new music.

After Bachchu passed away, many people talked about his guitar collection. Every guitar is connected to a part of his life. He played some of them on big stages. He used some to create popular tunes. Others were simply part of his private collection.

But just keeping the guitars safe is not enough. We also need to fulfill his dreams. If he were alive, he might have opened the guitar school. He would use his own guitars to teach new students. Exhibitions could be arranged with his guitars. That way, the new generation could learn an important part of band music history.

A museum could be built with his guitars, song notebooks, stage clothes, and other items. Also, a digital archive with his live videos, interviews, and music documents would be a great gift for future generations.

A Prothom Alo report earlier mentioned a government plan to save 272 songs of Ayub Bachchu and create a digital archive. Such efforts must continue. That way, people can easily find his work and future generations can learn from it. Long-term plans to keep his music alive are the best tribute to him, far better than just holding memorial events on his death anniversary.

Eight years after his death, people in the music world still talk about Ayub Bachchu. With time, the power of his music is only growing. He may not be here to sing, but the younger generation sings his songs on many stages. Young musicians remember him with deep respect. They get inspiration from his work every day.

Musician Shuvo once told Prothom Alo about a misunderstanding he had with Bachchu. They met at an airport five days before Bachchu died, but they could not clear it up. Shuvo still feels sad about that. He said, "He had a huge impact on my whole music life. Hearing even one word from him felt like a blessing."

In 2026, Ayub Bachchu was awarded the Ekushey Padak posthumously. His wife, Ferdous Akhtar Chandana, told Prothom Alo, "Bachchu would have been very happy if he were here today. He would love to take this award with his own hands."

If Ayub Bachchu were alive today, he would smile with the Ekushey Padak in his hand. He would plan new songs. He would talk about performing before 1.5 million people again. Maybe at his guitar school, a young kid would touch guitar strings for the first time.

Maybe one of his guitars would go to a talented young artist. Or maybe, standing on stage with the new generation, he would make history with his guitar once more.