Khwaja Ajmal

Khwaja Mohammad Ajmal (Bengali: খাজা মোহাম্মদ আজমল, romanizedKhāja Môhômôd Ājmôl [kʰadʒa moɦammad adʒmɔl]) (1905 – 17 December 1971) was one of the pioneers of the Bengali-language films during the British Indian era (present-day Bangladesh). He was associated with early silent Bengali films such as Sukumari (1927)[1][2] and The Last Kiss (1931).[3] He was a member of the Nawab family of Dhaka.[4][5]

He was born in 1905. He was the second child of Khan Bahadur Khwaja Mohammad Azam, superordinate of Panchayati raj in Dhaka and artist Meherbanu Khanam, daughter of the Nawab of Dhaka, Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah. Journalist and poet Khwaja Mohammad Adil was his elder brother. He worked for Wari Club and Dhaka Sporting Association. He used to play table tennis and hockey in the 1930s and 1940s. He was the first motor vehicle user in Dhaka.[6]

He was the first president of Mohammedan Sporting Club of Dhaka in 1936.[7] He also refereed two exhibition football matches between Dhaka Sporting Association and Islington Corinthians in Dhaka on 21 and 22 September 1937.[8]

He played a significant leading role both as an actor and a cameraman in Sukumari and The Last Kiss.[9]

He joined the Dhaka station in Radio Pakistan as an announcer in 1949 and also participated in many radio dramas.[2] One of his sons collaborated with the Pakistani forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War, which led to his assassination by the Mukti Bahini on 17 December 1971.[10]

References

  1. ^ "ঢাকাই ছবির প্রথম নায়ক". Manabzamin. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b "ঢাকাই ছবিতে যা কিছু প্রথম". Bangladesh Pratidin. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  3. ^ Roy, Anjali Gera; Huat, Chua Beng (10 November 2014). Travels of Bollywood Cinema: From Bombay to LA. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-908862-1. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  4. ^ Mohammad Alamgir (2012). "Nawab Family of Dhaka". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  5. ^ "শিক্ষায়-শিল্পে নবাব পরিবারের অবদান". Jugantor (in Bengali). 18 September 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  6. ^ Hasan, Delwar (2016) [2012]. "আজমল, খাজা" [Ajmal, Khwaja]. Encyclopedia of Dhaka (in Bengali). Dhaka: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. p. 32. ISBN 9789845120197.
  7. ^ Mahmud, Dulal (2018). ঢাকার ফুটবলের গৌরবময় সেইদিন (transl. The glorious day of football in Dhaka). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. p. 105–106. ISBN 978-984-93467-8-4.
  8. ^ "Pakistan Observer, 1969.08.05 — South Asian Newspapers". gpa.eastview.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  9. ^ "মুক্তি পেল 'দ্য লাস্ট কিস'". The Daily Ittefaq. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  10. ^ "বইটি আমাকে হিরোর মর্যাদা দিয়েছে". Kaler Kantho. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2024.