Zahir Raihan

Zahir Raihan  was a Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his documentary Stop Genocide, made during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was born on 19 August 1935, as Mohammad Zahirullah, in the village Majupur, now in Feni District, Bangladesh.

Raihan started working as a journalist when he joined Juger Alo in 1950. His first collection of short stories, titled Suryagrahan, was published in 1955. He worked as an assistant on the film Jago Huya Sabera in 1957. This was his first direct involvement in film.He was an active supporter of the Language Movement of 1952 and was present at the historical meeting of Amtala on 21 February 1952.

The effect of the Language Movement was so strong on him that he used it as the premise of his landmark film "Jibon Theke Neya". Raihan disappeared on 30 January 1972 trying to locate his brother, the famous writer Shahidullah Kaiser, who was captured and killed by the Pakistan army during the final days of the liberation war.