City

6 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DHAKA TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
BHADRA 29, 1429 BS

Meet the Bangladeshi

songsmith who wrote
for The Chainsmokers
One on one with Nirob Islam
AAQIB HASIB

On a Friday afternoon, on the way to work, I got a text that

Nirob Islam, a Sweden-based Bangladeshi songwriter,
‘Squid Game’ star
would be taking a ‘Songwriting Masterclass’ at The Daily
Star premises.
Lee Jung Jae to play
While many in Bangladesh might not have heard
his name, they have surely heard one of the many
lead in Star Wars
songs he has written for some of the world’s biggest
artists such as The Chainsmokers, Steve Aoki, Icona
series ‘The Acolyte’
Pop, John Newman and so on. “Squid Game” famed actor Lee Jung Jae is all
Nirob Islam, “All We Know” by The Chainsmokers, set to move to Hollywood with his latest stint in
“The Ocean” by Mike Perry and “Midnight” by Alesso, Disney+ upcoming Star Wars series “The Acolyte.”
is an acclaimed songwriter who has generated over 1 Amandla Stenberg will play the female lead
billion streams for artists all over the world. while “Russian Doll” co-creator Leslye Headland
How did your journey in music begin? will direct the series.
Looking back, it all began when, in the third grade, my mom “The Acolyte” is a mystery-thriller which will
put me into a Bangla music class. It sparked an interest in me. When highlight the deep dark secrets of the High
I finished highschool, I wanted to take the year off and make music. Republic, when the Jedi’s were at their strongest
But my parents sent me to university to study biomedicine. I studied and the Sith were eradicated from the galaxy.”
there for a year, but felt as if I had hit a wall.
I eventually left that and applied for a music school, after making
5 songs.
Without telling my parents, I packed my bags and left. On the
way, I called and told them what was happening. I told them my
plans, and that I just wanted to see if I could make it. Finally, they
agreed to let me try this out.
How did the song for The Chainsmokers happen?
We already had a popular song called “The Ocean” with Mike
Perry. However, the manager of the artist tried to exploit me and my
song-writing partner, SHY Martin. After being frustrated with the
experience of working with middlemen, my partner and I decided
to start sending our songs straight to the artists. We knew that the
songs we were writing were good.
At that time, we had a demo that sounded perfect for The Being Human store to
Chainsmokers, so we Googled the band for 20 minutes and finally
found their email. We wrote a formal, straight to the point email,
launch in Bangladesh,
attached our song and sent it in. After four hours, we got a reply
saying they would check it out. 20 more minutes on, we got a reply
Sohail Khan to attend
from them that read, “Don’t send this to anyone” in all caps!
The music video for your latest single, “Westside” is shot in
opening
Bangladesh. What did it mean for you to be able to shoot the Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s humanitarian
video there? organisation, Being Human, is all set to have its
Even though I wasn’t born here, I’ve been to Bangladesh every grand opening in Bangladesh. The brand will be
two years since I was three years old. Since I wasn’t born here, nor launching its first ever outlet in Banani with a
did I grow up here, I see things in a different way. I see the beauty of grand opening ceremony on September 15.
Bangladesh in a different way. The inauguration ceremony will be attended
PHOTOS: COLLECTED

I’ve grown up with both cultures, and I want to show people the by renowned actor and brother of Salman Khan
beauty of Bangladesh. That’s one of my biggest goals. When you -- Sohail Khan, and Salman’s nephew, Ayaan
look at the Billboard Hot 100, how many people look like us? There Agnihotri.
are a few, but more people from Bangladesh should be on there. The franchisees of Being Human Clothing,
That’s why I’m here today, taking this masterclass hosted by Qinetic Bangladesh, are Rehan Rahman and Mohaimin
Music. Mostafa, who are also the co-owners of
Hopefully, I can help elevate local producers and musicians. Crimsoncup Bangladesh.

COUNTRYWIDE
BROKEN BRIDGE Dhaka wants
FROM PAGE 12
Nasir Uddin Biswas no more Alcaraz takes
FROM PAGE 12

A death trap for He added that though a FROM PAGE 12 became one of the pioneers with the Bangladesh “This is something that is
firing took place almost 30,000 workers in its in manufacturing those in Business Awards in 2013 really, really special for me.”
10 kilometres off the units, said Ashraful Haque the country. as Business Person of Year “Bravo Carlitos!” was
Bangladesh border, the Bhuiyan, general manager He built one of the for his contribution to displayed on a banner inside

commuters BGB remains vigilant.

The foreign secretary
further said efforts are
being made to ensure there
(administration) of the
group.
He was buried at his
family graveyard in Kushtia
biggest float glass factories.
Two factories -- Nasir
Jute Industries
Quality Glass -- are under
and

construction, said Ashraful

industrialisation.
In conversation with The
Daily Star back in 2013,
Nasir said, “I go for products
that are not available in
the stadium for the tennis
prodigy from El Palmar.
The electrifying Alcaraz,
who thrilled fans over the
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Jhenidah under the upazila use the bridge for their are no tensions along the after a namaj-e-janaza on two-week tournament in
daily purposes. border. “We remain highly his factory premises in Haque Bhuiyan, general Bangladesh as those will New York with his explosive
A large portion of the deck of a concrete Moreover, hundreds of students of alert. BGB will not allow Tangail. manager administration of generate employment and speed, booming forehand
bridge over a canal on Hatfadilpur- five educational institutions, located at anyone inside Bangladesh.” His first namaz-e-janaza Nasir Group. save foreign currencies and acrobatic shotmaking,
Nityanandapur road in Shailakupa Hatfadilpur village, use this bridge to go Bangladesh earlier was at Azad Mosque in Today, Nasir Group from import payments.” replaced Russian Daniil
upazila has remained unrepaired for over to their institutions, he said, adding that reiterated its concerns the capital’s Gulshan after exports float glass, Md Jashim Uddin, Medvedev at the top of the
eight years, causing enormous sufferings due to lack of renovation for years part of over mortar shells landing Zuhr prayers, said Shamim. glassware and tobacco president of the Federation rankings.
to the people of 15 villages. inside its territory and air With bidi (handmade worth over Tk 200 of Bangladesh Chambers He is the youngest world
the bridge deck broke down in 2015 and
Locals said part of the deck of the space violations. cigarettes) being one of crore, said Mohammad of Commerce and Industry, number one since the ATP
remained unrepaired since then. Fakharuzzaman, deputy said Nasir has contributed
70-feet-long concrete bridge collapsed On September 3, 2022 his first manufacturing rankings began in 1973,
The dilapidated bridge now poses general manager exports of to the economy and job
two mortar shells fell venture, Nasir expanded breaking the mark set by
in 2015 due to lack of renovation for serious risk for commuters as its railing Nasir Group of Industries. creation and had done well
inside Bangladesh between to the field of melamine Lleyton Hewitt, who was 20
long, making it difficult for vehicles and on one side and side walls also breaking tableware in 1985 and He was honoured in the glass sector.
Border Points 40 and 41. when he became number
commuters to cross it. down gradually. one in 2001.
Aung Kyaw Moe,
In the first week of August this year,
one of the locals Rojdar Ali, 42, of Fadilpur
village fell from the broken bridge into the
However, villagers managed to repair
part of the broken deck by with bamboo
and logs and using it for crossing the
Myanmar ambassador
to Bangladesh, was later
Residents return to villages Tidal surges
summoned to the foreign FROM PAGE 12 Ganchev, the Russian- from Russian-held parts of FROM PAGE 12
dried-up canal and died while crossing it canal amid risks of accidents, he further land mines, grenades and installed head of Moscow’s the province, told Russia’s communication, including
ministry to meet the
on a bicycle, villagers said. said. director general of its weapons left behind by occupation administration state-owned Rossiya-24 sea trucks, engine-run
Meanwhile, many people sustained Although, small vehicles like auto- Myanmar wing. fleeing Russian troops, acknowledged that television that about 5,000 boats and speedboats
serious injuries while crossing the bridge rickshaws, rickshaw-vans and bicycles can At the meeting, the with abandoned farm Ukraine’s troops had broken civilians had escaped to owing to the rough seas
over the last eight years, one of the cross the canal amid risk, local farmers ambassador was told that animals wandering about. through to the frontier. Russia but the frontier was since Sunday.
villagers Alamgir Hossain said. cannot carry their products to nearby such activities are a grave In what remained of Ganchev, who has now shut. “The situation is “We’ve taken necessary
During a recent visit to the area this markets as other vehicles cannot move on threat to the safety and Russian-held territory ordered the complete becoming more difficult by preparations to deal with
correspondent saw a large portion of the it. security of the peace-loving in Kharkiv region, Vitaly evacuation of civilians the hour,” he said. the situation.”
bridge deck lying broken, posing risk of They have urged the authorities people, a violation of the Meanwhile, Md
accidents.
Kamal Sarkar of Kumiradah village
concerned on several occasions to repair
the bridge, but they did not pay heed to
border agreement between
Bangladesh and Myanmar, Cost likely to escalate Rezaul Karim, additional
superintendent of Tourist
Police (Cox’s Bazar Zone),
said Water Development Board (WDB) their demand, another villager Alamgir and are contrary to the FROM PAGE 12 and laying power cables of Engineering and
constructed the 70-feet-long bridge said. Jhenidah WDB Executive Engineer neighbourly relationship the expressway because of under the ground, rose Technology (Cuet) to know said that they asked tourists
on Alamdanga Canal under Ganga Rashedul Hasan said many other bridges between the two countries. the change in its alignment to Tk 220 crore from Tk whether the expressway to exercise caution when
like this one need urgent renovation, but The ambassador was are some of the major 18 crore, Mahafuzur said, is required and the CDA getting into the ocean.
Kapotakho (GK) Project about 40 years
also urged to ensure there reasons for the revision adding that inclusion spent only Tk 1 crore on “The cautionary message
ago. they were not able to do the work due to
is no trespassing by those of the project, read the of new components like this. is being announced through
Thousands of people of 15 villages fund crisis. loudspeakers on the beach.”
internally displaced in ministry documents. construction of toll plazas, Professor Muinul
Rakhine. Project Director Md drainage system and Islam, eminent economist (Our correspondent
He was asked to come Mahafuzur Rahman, also installation of 100 CCTV and former teacher of from Cox’s Bazar, Bagerhat
back to the ministry on the executive engineer cameras escalated the Chittagong University, and Noakhali contributed
August 21 and 28, while of CDA, said the original project cost by another Tk said the port city dwellers to this report.)
protest notes conveying development project 100 crore. have been suffering for
Bangladesh’s grave proposal (DPP) mentioned Kazi Wasi Uddin, long due to the delayed Diaz murder
concerns were handed to about acquiring or additional secretary of implementation of the FROM PAGE 12
him. purchasing 138 katha of the housing and public project. Chittagong court on
The Bangladesh embassy private and public land. works ministry, who “The feasibility studies December 18, 2017.
in Yangon also raised the But as a major change headed a four-member of projects in the country Diaz was found hanging
issue with Myanmar’s in the alignment of the committee to analyse are done in a poor manner from the ceiling of his
foreign ministry. expressway was needed the increased project and the costs and deadlines house in the CU campus
following the opposition cost, said the project was often increase three to area on November 20, 2016.
New dinosaur from the Chattogram Port
Authority, the project
taken up hastily without
conducting a thorough
four times than the initial
estimates.”
His mother filed the murder
case on November 24 with a
PHOTO: STAR

FROM PAGE 12
required to acquire or feasibility study and that’s This happens because Chittagong court accusing
The Tuebingosaurus purchase 600 katha. This why the alignment and of weaknesses of the around 20 people, including
skeleton consists mainly of increased the cost of this designs needed to be government and project Anwar and former president
the rear of the body, and the segment by Tk 200 crore, changed. officials, he told The of CU BCL Alamgir Tipu.
new analysis established he said. The project director Daily Star, adding The Criminal
that many of the bones The cost of shifting also said a traffic study was that corruption is Investigation Department
Part of the deck of this bridge on Alamdanga Canal in Jhenidah’s Shailakupa were not the same as a utility lines, including initially done by a team committed under such of Chattogram police is
upazila remains unrepaired for years, making it difficult for vehicles to cross it. typical Plateosaurus. removing electricity poles from Chittagong University circumstances. now investigating the case.