Today is the 95th death anniversary of legendary bard Dewan Hasan Raja Chowdhury, widely known as Hason Raja. The mystic poet and folk singer Hason Raja was born on 7 Paush in Bangla year 1261 (22 December, 1854) in a rich family in the village of Lakshmansree in the present Sunamganj district of Bangladesh. Despite having no formal education, Hason Raja founded Hason Middle English (ME) School and set up a number of religious organisations. Hason Raja composed about 1,000 mystic songs in regional dialects and simple but engaging tunes. Local bauls and fakirs performed his songs which made him nationally famous. In his songs, Hason Raja calls himself ‘Pagla Hason Raja’ ‘Udasi’, ‘Dewana’, ‘Baula’, meaning mad or lost in his love for god.

Raja's songs are collected in books ‘Hason Udas’ and ‘Shaukhin Bahar’. Till date, a number of books have been published from both Bangladesh and India on his life and work. A feature film titled ‘Hason Raja’ was also released in Bangladesh, UK and USA in 2002.

Hason Raja died on December 6 in 1922.