During the July uprising, when most mainstream musicians in the country remained silent against oppression by the Awami League regime, two independent rap artists, Hannan Hossain Shimul and Muhammad Shezan, stood out as voices of defiance.
Their songs, “Awaaz Utha” by Hannan and “Kotha Ko” by Shezan, reverberated through the streets, ignited fires in the hearts of thousands, and became anthems of the protests.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The courageous efforts of these two artists who fuelled the spirit of the movement against injustices have earned them a feature in this year’s English For Today textbook for Class 7.
“Have you heard the song ‘Kotha Ko’ by Shezan? While singers from earlier generations were often too afraid to use music as a form of protest, artists like Shezan and Hannan have courageously spoken out. Their rap songs became anthems of the July uprising in 2024,” reads part of an essay on Lesson 3: A New Generation under Unit 4 of the textbook.
The books for Class 7 have almost finished printing and are set to reach the school students soon.
A young rapper from Narayanganj, Hannan made headlines with his explosive rap song “Awaaz Utha” (Raise Your Voice), which led to his arrest on July 25 during the protests just a week after the release of his song. He was in prison for 12 days and released after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
The intro of his song loosely translates to: “Raise your voice, Bangladesh, raise your voice, So much blood on the streets, whose blood is that, raise your voice, Raise your voice, Bangladesh, raise your voice, Who fired the shots on the streets? Raise your voice, Bangladesh…”
The week before, Shezan, another young rap artist, released his song “Kotha Ko” (Speak Up) on July 16. Its strong and thought-provoking lyrics emphasised a call for action and justice.
The intro of this song loosely translates to: “Hey, what’s the difference between ’52 and ’24? Speak up! The country’s supposed to be free, so where’s the freedom? Speak up! My brothers and sisters are dying in the streets—what are you doing about it? Speak up! The black snake wrapped around our necks; find the snake’s head.”
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