Who knew rock music in a country like Bangladesh would reach the masses? The process started with the pioneer Azam Khan and was incredibly popularised by the trio — Ayub Bachchu, James and Hasan in their respective patterns.

Those days of glory remained no more, and rock, now mostly alternative rock, happens to be made for selective classes only. Though the days are gone, people are still fascinated by the very energetic performance and the unique voice of Hasan.

Hasan, the vocalist of Ark, has long been a subject of curiosity for many. But not enough information about this legendary singer is easy to access. So, here are some of the facts that you might not know about him.

Facts about Hasan

1. Hasan’s formal name is Syed Hasanur Rahman.

2. In high school, when he was in class-10, his dream to be a singer was sparked by the appreciation of one of his friends.

3. Not only singing, Hasan had also been involved in other creative arts like writing poetry, recitation and acting.

4. Hasan was conscious of the use of Bengali and so he completed a diploma course in folk music to learn Bengali pronunciations properly and the basics of Bengali songs.

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5. Hasan’s long hair grabbed the attention of both boys and girls, and sometimes girls even asked him about his hair care.

6. Hasan was not a founding member of Ark.

7. Ark was formed in 1990 and Hasan joined the band in 1993.

8. Hasan once quit Ark and formed another band called Shadhinata.

9. He released an album from that band called “Karbala”.

10. Hasan has also had the experience of playback singing for films.

11. Once, on his birthday, Hasan was surprised by the people on a ferry at midnight while travelling to Faridpur.

12. At a concert in Rajendrapur, around 30 thousand fans suddenly started to sing “Happy Birthday to…..Hasan” as the clock went past midnight on April 19. The crowd also made him cut a cake on the stage.

13. Hasan’s extended family learned about his singing talent only after he appeared on TV.

14. He was not encouraged by his family to take music as a profession.

15. However, his talent was nurtured by his culturally active elder sister, Hossain Afroz, who was an actress.