#25: Zahir Raihan
Year of disappearance: 1972
Year of discovery: never found
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Zahir Raihan was a towering figure in Bangladeshi literature, cinema, and activism. He used his art to challenge injustice. His groundbreaking film Stop Genocide (1971) laid bare the atrocities of the Pakistan Army during the liberation struggle in East Pakistan, cementing his place as a fearless storyteller.
In 1972, Raihan embarked on a desperate mission to find his brother, reportedly captured by the Pakistan Army. That search became his final chapter—Raihan disappeared, his fate shrouded in mystery. His legacy endures, a poignant reminder of art’s power in the fight for truth and freedom.