Love for animals, love for music

(Top) Shakila Zafar, Habib sing at the concert; Rubaiya Ahmad with her dog, Messi. Photo: ATL AAKASH

Dogs walking around at Rabindra Sharobar in Dhanmondi, Dhaka is not an uncommon sight. A get-together of dog owners and animal lovers in general, however, is quite a rare sight at a public place like this, but that is what happened on the wintry afternoon of January 26, when Obhoyaronno - Bangladesh Animal Welfare Society staged a concert celebrating one year of no cull in Dhaka.
'Culling' is the general term used for indiscriminate killing of animals. There used to be a time when the killing of stray animals was a common nomenclature in many cities but the trend has been abolished mostly, and through Obhoyaronno's valiant efforts, dog culling in Dhaka has been stopped for a year now. The organisation celebrated the occasion with a concert featuring musicians who are animal lovers. In the line-up were Shayan, Habib, Shakila Zafar, Arnob, Nemesis and Pilu Khan (from Renaissance).
Rubaiya Ahmad, founder and chairman of Obhoyaronno, recounted how it all began. Her dog was killed by the Dhaka City Corporation in 2009, and since then she began the movement, researched, contacted international agencies and held discussions with various government stakeholders. After three years of efforts, Dhaka was declared a no-culling zone in 2012, and as a result, the LGD secretary, Abu Alam Md. Shahid Khan, received Humane Society International's “Outstanding Animal Protection Award” the same year. The award certificate, which Shahid Khan could not receive in person last year, was also handed to him during the programme.
Rubaiya Ahmad also informed that their current activities include management of canine population through sterilisation, and ensuring a safe dog population through vaccination, with the ultimate goal being a rabies-free Dhaka. Asked what prompted the thought of the concert, she said their work so far had been very silent, but she felt it was time to involve the community with the movement.
Shayan was the first on stage and sang a few of her popular numbers, to the amusement of a crowd that was still growing. Habib Wahid was next on stage, and he took the audience by surprise because his name was not on the concert list. He also sang a few of his hit numbers including “Swopner Cheyeo Modhur” and “Elomelo Mon”, to huge cheers. Shakila Zafar came on stage next, in her usual elegant style, and she sang “Bhulite Pari Na”, “Tumi Amar Prothom Shokal” and “Je Jon Premer Bhab Jaane Na”.
But it was Arnob's arrival that really got the crowd on their feet. With just a guitar and cajon to accompany him, Arnob was at his relaxed best, singing “Hariye Giyechi”, “Tomar Jonno”, “Majhe Majhe Tobo Dekha Pai”, “Aadkhana” and closing with the hit “Shey Je Boshe Achhey”.
Nemesis was next on stage, bringing the crowd alive with their energetic performances of “Tritiyo Jatra”, “Bir”, “Nirbashon”, “Obocheton” and “Kobey”. They were followed by Pilu Khan, who brought back calm to the proceedings with his Bob Dylan-esque setup of an acoustic guitar and harmonica, singing Renaissance's evergreen songs, along with a new patriotic song from their upcoming album.
People are often in awe of the lifestyles of celebrities, and their favourite musicians' love for animals along with the dog-owners around them who came to the concert with their pets, did seem to have an effect on the audiences, alongside the short documentary on kindness to animals screened at the concert. And all of Obhoyaronno's efforts will be worthwhile, if these sentiments leave a lasting impact.