ANM Altaf Ali, popularly known as Altaf Mahmud, was a celebrated singer, composer, and cultural activist whose life fused music with resistance. Born in Barishal in 1933, he emerged as one of the most influential musical voices of his generation and later became a martyred intellectual of the Liberation War of 1971.

An electric shaving machine used by Altaf Mahmud. Courtesy: Liberation War Museum

From an early age, music shaped his world. He received his initial training from the violinist Suren Roy and later studied classical music under Ustad Abdul Kader Khan in Karachi. His artistic journey soon became inseparable from political consciousness. During the Language Movement, Altaf Mahmud composed and performed "Aamar Bhaier Raktey Rangano Ekushe February"—a song that would transcend its moment to become a timeless tribute to the martyrs of 1952 and a defining symbol of the Bengali struggle for linguistic and cultural rights.

A newspaper report on Altaf Mahmud. Courtesy: Liberation War Museum

During the Liberation War, his home became a refuge for freedom fighters and a clandestine storage site for arms and ammunition. On 30 August 1971, the Pakistani Army raided his residence, discovered a steel trunk containing weapons, and arrested him. He was subjected to brutal torture and is believed to have been killed in September 1971. His body was never recovered.