Bangladeshi singer Hero Alom, who has become a huge internet sensation for his out-of-tune singing, was hauled in by police and ordered to cease his painful renditions of classical songs sparking furore on social media.
Well, this is no surprise but Hero Alom styles himself, and the tuneless singer has amassed nearly two million Facebook followers and almost 1.5 million on YouTube with his unique crooning style and arresting raunchy videos.
An out-of-tune Bangladeshi singer with a huge internet following has been hauled in by police and told to cease his painful renditions of classical songs, sparking a furore on social mediahttps://t.co/7qnSnf0w6r
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 4, 2022
The recent development comes as one of his songs ‘Arabian Songs’ which featured him appearing in traditional Arab clothing on a sand dune with camels superimposed in the background, has garnered more than 17 million views. But, he has also drawn wrath from the critics for versions of classic songs of the two beloved national treasures - Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Bangladesh’s national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
As per a recent AFP report quoted Alom shared that he was ‘mentally tourtured’ last week by the police who told him to quit performing classical songs and pointed out that he was too ugly to be a singer and to sign an ‘apology’ bond.
“The police picked me up at 6 am and kept me there for eight hours. They asked me why I sing Rabindra and Nazrul songs," he said.
Meanwhile, Dhaka chief detective Harun ur Rashid told reporters that Alom apologised for singing the much-cherished songs and wearing police uniforms without permission in his videos.
“We received many complaints against him," Harun said. “(He) totally changed the (traditional) style (of singing)… He assured us that he won’t repeat this," Harun added.
On the other hand, the deputy Police commissioner of Dhaka has rejected the claims made by Alom that he had also been pressed to change his name.
“He is making these comments just to go viral on social media," he told AFP. However, this did not discourage Alom to stop singing and he released a new video depicting himself behind bars in a prison outfit, warbling mournfully that he is about to be hanged.
Alom’s claims have sparked outrage on social media over his alleged treatment by the police with commentators and activists calling it an attack on individual rights- even if his singing grates.
“I am not a fan of your songs or your acting. But if there is an attempt to muzzle your voice, I stand up against it," journalist Aditya Arafat posted.
“Don’t be broken. You are a hero. No matter what others say, you are a real hero," Sanjida Khatun Rakhi wrote on Alom’s Facebook page.
Alom says he has acted in several films and also participated in Bangladesh’s parliamentary election in 2018 as an independent candidate — garnering 638 votes.
Image Source: Instagram