Abdul Mannan

When the police finished playing the last post and gave the guard of honour to pay respect to our Debuda-Artist Devdas Chakraborty, many rushed to have a last glimpse of the body of the deceased artist lying in state in the Central Shaheed Minar in the afternoon of the fading winter on Thursday, February 7, 2008. Debuda had breathed his last on Monday at the age of 75. The aura was somber and I could see many friends and colleagues of Debuda weeping in silence.

Debdas Chakraborty: 1933-2008

It was in the summer of 1973 when I first met Debuda in the teacher's bus of Chittagong University. The eminent artist of the country Murtaja Baseer, whom I knew as Baseer <>bhai<> introduced me to Debuda sitting in the back seat of the bus. Debuda was one person whom you would like from the very first moment. He had a very fair reddish complexion. To me he seemed more of a fairy tale prince from 'Thakur Maar Jhuli', someone not from this part of the world. Later once I had humorously asked Debuda if he was a fairy tale prince? He smiled at me and said maybe. After the brief introduction phase was over, Debuda invited me to have lunch with him at Burma Raju Hotel. I had heard of Burma Raju Hotel so much but never had the chance of going there. I instantly agreed. Rashid Chowdhury, Murtaja Baseer, Devdas Chakraborty and Ronald Patra were also going to Burma Raju Hotel, an exclusive deshi restaurant in Firenghee Bazaar where you could have a good lunch at a reasonable price and could eat different varieties of shutki of Chittagong. It was Debuda's regular joint. Debuda believed life could be a burden if you did not know what to do with it.