Across rural Bangladesh, far from the attention of cities and cultural institutions, countless artists live lives of quiet brilliance. They create not for recognition but out of devotion — shaping songs, verses, and stories that nurture the inner life of their communities. Their work enriches the nation, yet their names remain unknown. Among these luminous but unsung figures is Binoy Chandra Sutradhar, a Baul whose creativity has flourished in silence for decades.
Locally, Binoy is known as a charan-kobi — a wandering bard whose songs carry the pulse of the land. The soil he walks on, the colours and rhythms of village life, the rituals and faiths that shape rural Bangladesh, even the mysteries of creation and the Creator — all of these find their way into his music. He writes the songs he sings, and he sings the world he inhabits.
Born in 1954 in Paikpara Union under Chunarughat Upazila of Habiganj district, Binoy was the son of a local farmer, Sudhir Chandra Sutradhar, and Snehalata Sutradhar. Before he was even seven, he lost his father, a loss that cast the family into deep hardship. His education ended at Class Five in the village pathsala, after which he was compelled into carpentry.
Binoy's initiation into music was almost accidental — humming to himself as he travelled from village to village for carpentry work, and lingering to watch kavigan performances on his way home. Raised in a deeply spiritual household, he developed a love for devotional songs.
In his own union, Abdul Mannan Chairman — a beloved local singer whose songs explored nature, humanity, and love — became his first mentor. After completing his daily carpentry work, Binoy would attend Mannan Chairman's musical gatherings, immersing himself in the songs and their contemplative depth. Years of patient practice eventually made him Mannan Chairman's dedicated violinist, performing beside him at village gatherings — playing the violin, lending his voice, and slowly entering the wider world of music.
Through his mentorship, Binoy absorbed Baul and folk traditions. He also began taking part in kirtan and Haribasar sessions in village temples. In these gatherings, he learned various classical devotional forms — Chandidas, Dwijkanai, Ramprasadi, among others — and soon he began performing in religious assemblies. Encouraged by local admirers who recognised his promise, he pursued studies in grammar and poetics, and with community support attained formal recognition in devotional scholarship, further enriching his musical stature.
Binoy undertook work on the medieval poet Chandidas' padavali kirtan, reviving several lost compositions. Performing these lyrical masterpieces — rich in literary value and rendered with refined melody, rhythm, and cadence — he earned widespread acclaim from devotees and enthusiasts alike.
The relationship between humanity and nature, Creator and creation, profoundly shaped Binoy's philosophy. Inspired by Mannan Chairman, he began composing his own songs. Themes such as human love, the identity of humankind beyond religious boundaries, communal harmony, universal spirituality, the wonder of creation and social crises occupy central places in his work.
Among his notable compositions are:
— Keno aslam ei mayar deshe, dinbandhure, keno aslam ei mayar deshe
— Khodar naam roiyacho bhuliya, sonar Adam
— Keu hobe na sange sathi
— Shikkha jatir merudanda, shikkha jatir pran…
— Tumi anadir adi, probhu Niranjan, giyecho brahmand srijiya doyal…
He has written nearly a thousand songs to date, many of which are now performed by his disciples in various cultural gatherings. Yet none of his works have been formally compiled or published — they exist only as handwritten manuscripts. He has expressed his sincere hope that someone with goodwill and initiative will help preserve his oeuvre in book form.
When asked about the philosophy that anchors his life and music, Binoy said that everything begins with recognising the divinity within oneself.
"Divine energy resides within every being," he explained. "Real spiritual attainment begins with knowing oneself. The great sages — from the charyapad poets to Lalon, and from Nazrul to Tagore, and down to Baul Karim of the Bhati region — all shared one essential teaching: know yourself, recognise yourself, love one another."
His thoughts drifted to the present world — fractured by tension, mistrust, and relentless conflict.
"Today's troubled world is consumed by conflict — communal hatred, interpersonal violence, selfishness, greed. If we can discover our true selves, we discover the Creator, who lives within us. His voice, His tune — these are expressions of our own soul. Our failure to know ourselves is the root of our suffering."
Binoy's spiritual reflections sit alongside the quietly weathered realities of his own life. The father of six children, he spoke candidly of the hardships he endured — the dreams he held for his children, and the financial struggles that shadowed those dreams. Through loans, labour, and sacrifice, he managed to arrange their marriages. What he could not give in wealth, he tried to give in values.
"I only hoped they would grow into good human beings," he said simply.
In the end, when asked what he wished for himself, his answer was characteristically unadorned — a reflection of the man he has always been.
"I am an insignificant man," he said softly. "I want to live by the simple identity of being human. I sing my own songs, compose my own tunes, and try to offer society a message of harmony. I want to continue my musical struggle for a world built on love, peace, and serenity."
Saifur Rabbi is a contributor to Slow Reads, The Daily Star.
