Ferdausi Rahman is a pioneer singer in the country’s music arena. She is a singer of folk (Polli Geeti), Tagore and Nazrul songs and also a play-back singer. She started her music career from childhood. She is pride of our country’s music arena.

For her contribution in music, she received the country’s highest honour, Ekushey Award, and the National Film Awards in categories of Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Music Director (for Harunor Rashid directed film Megh-er Onek Rong). She is also popular as Khalamoni to all for BTV’s music related popular programme Esho Gaan Shikhi.  

In 1948, Ferdausi Rahman first rendered song in a programme of Betar titled Khelaghor. In film Achhiya, she first lent her vocal for the play-back song titled O Mor Kalare under her father folk legend Abbas Uddin’s music composition. Its lyrics were written by Abdul Karim. Before that she debuted her career as a play-back singer to lend her vocal for film Edesh Tomar Aamar.

She rendered 260 play-back songs till now. She has more than 5,000 recorded songs - 3 long plays, 500 disk records and 20 disk cassettes. She first worked as music director jointly with late Robin Ghosh in film Rajdhanir Bukey.  

Ferdausi Rahman was born in Cooch Behar or Koch Bihar, India on June 28 in 1941. After born, she went there for many times - either to perform as a singer or to attend as judge at Bhawaiya festivals. She turned 79 yesterday. She had no special plan to celebrate her birthday because her two sons - Rubaiyat and Razin are outside the country. She feels bad because she has lost some of her favourite persons due to coronavirus.

While talking in this regard Ferduasi Rahman said, “I have lost many persons who also started their careers in music with me. For this reason, I always feel bad for them.

Therefore, I also lost some of my favourite persons like respected Anisuzzaman Sir, respected Kamal Lohani, Mostafa Kamal Syed, among others. In fact, I cannot think how we have lost these persons within very few days. Everybody pray for us as we remain well.”

Ferdausi Rahman also informed that she is now busy with writing her biography. For last two years, she has been engaged with this work. While talking about present time’s singers Ferdausi Rahman said, “There is lack of devotion to the singers of present time. Noted singers like Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, Syed Abdul Hadi, Khondokar Faruk Ahmed did their jobs besides rendering song. They had devotion to music. But now singers are only engaged with music. But I believe singers must have devotion to music, otherwise they should quit music.”

Ferdausi Rahman never hides with her age as she believes after death it creates problem. She passed SSC from Banglabazar School, HSC from Eden College, Honours and Masters from Sociology at University of Dhaka and then completed a course on Staff Notation from Trinity College of Music in London, UK under UNESCO fellowship. She tied the nuptial knot with mechanical engineer Rezaur Rahman on October 26 in 1966.