Popular Bangladeshi singer Asif Akbar, widely known as the ‘Prince of Bangla Music’, has lent his voice to a new song written and composed by lyricist and composer Mahbubul Khalid. Titled Sakhi Tui Ki Tel Makish Chule (‘Dear Girl, Do You Oil Your Hair?’), the romantic number explores love, beauty and the fascination one person feels for someone they admire.
The song draws on familiar expressions and imagery from Bengali folk culture, creating an atmosphere rooted in the language and traditions of rural Bengal. Its lyrics portray a lover captivated by a woman’s appearance, with references to her hair, sari, swaying scarf and jingling anklets. The words aim to evoke the charm of everyday Bengali life while expressing the excitement and wonder of romantic attraction.
A few lines from the song capture its central theme:
‘Sakhi tui ki tel makish chule, Ki shari poris tui, haoway anchal dule, Tor nupur baje ghungur ghungur, Rupe agun jole.’
The verses combine familiar folk expressions with playful admiration. Words such as sakhi (female companion), anchal (the loose end of a sari) and nupur (anklets) lend the lyrics a distinctly Bengali character. Rather than relying on elaborate language, the song uses recognisable images and a direct emotional approach to convey the lover’s fascination.
Music video to be released soon
The music video for Sakhi Tui Ki Tel Makish Chule is expected to be released shortly on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of Khalid Sangeet. The audio version has already been made available to listeners through the platform’s website.
The upcoming video will give audiences an opportunity to experience the song alongside its visual presentation. Details of the production and the response it will receive after release have yet to emerge.
For Asif Akbar, the song adds another romantic number to a career associated with contemporary Bangla music. His distinctive vocal delivery and expressive singing have helped establish him as a familiar name among Bengali music listeners. His involvement brings a recognisable voice to Khalid’s composition, although the song’s reception will ultimately depend on how listeners respond to its lyrics, melody and arrangement.
Mahbubul Khalid’s extensive body of work
Mahbubul Khalid has continued to work across music and literature in Bangladesh, building a diverse collection of songs that spans several themes and subjects. More than 500 of his songs have been released, according to the information provided. Singers from different generations of the country’s music industry have performed his compositions.
Romance and personal emotions feature prominently in his work, but his songwriting also addresses social injustice, human suffering and events that have drawn public attention. This range has allowed him to use music not only as a form of entertainment but also as a means of reflecting on social realities.
One of his songs, Aduri, was written about a child domestic worker who suffered abuse in Mirpur, Dhaka. Another, Felani Re Korlo Guli, addresses the killing of Felani Khatun at the Bangladesh–India border, a case that prompted widespread concern and debate over border violence and the treatment of civilians.
Khalid has also written Magurar Phool in response to the abuse of a child named Asiya in Magura. The song raises questions about human compassion, social responsibility and the protection of vulnerable children. More recently, he wrote a song titled Ramisar Bichar (‘Justice for Ramisa’), continuing his engagement with issues of public concern.
Such works reflect an approach to songwriting in which real-life events become the basis for expressions of grief, protest and calls for justice. Music can offer a way of bringing difficult subjects to a wider audience, giving emotional form to stories that might otherwise remain part of news reports or public debate.
Humanitarian concerns beyond Bangladesh
Khalid’s songwriting also extends to international humanitarian issues. He has written songs addressing the crisis in Palestine and the plight of the Rohingya people. These works seek to draw attention to suffering, displacement and humanitarian concerns through the accessible language of music.
His repertoire therefore moves between two markedly different worlds: the intimate emotions of romance and the wider concerns of society. While a love song such as Sakhi Tui Ki Tel Makish Chule celebrates beauty and personal attraction, his socially conscious compositions focus on injustice, suffering and the need for greater awareness.
The new collaboration with Asif Akbar adds another dimension to this varied body of work. With its romantic theme and folk-inspired vocabulary, the song draws on familiar elements of Bengali musical culture while reaching audiences through a contemporary singer.
As listeners await the release of its music video, Sakhi Tui Ki Tel Makish Chule marks the latest addition to Mahbubul Khalid’s extensive catalogue. Its blend of romantic sentiment and traditional Bengali imagery offers a different perspective on a songwriter whose work ranges from personal affection to pressing social and humanitarian concerns.
