Meghdol’s Shoaib uses mother’s savings for treatment despite unpaid Tk 50 lakh dues

Meghdol’s guitarist, sound engineer, and musician Rasheed Sharif Shoaib has been hospitalised for the last seven days. The musician says he is having to break his mother’s savings certificates to cover his medical expenses.

He claimed that he is owed at least Tk 50 lakh in unpaid fees for work on various audio-visual projects. Now hospitalised, Rashid Sharif Shoaib, guitarist and sound engineer of the band Meghdol, has worked in the music industry for years, contributing to various audio-visual projects, including TVCs, OVCs, web series, and films.

While he has received recognition for his work, the musician has alleged that he has long faced difficulties in receiving payments for his professional work.

Sharing an update on his health on social media, he wrote, “I have been hospitalised for seven days now, once again after 2024. Dengue, high diabetes, and so on. The situation is terrible. I don’t know when I will be able to return home. Please keep me in your prayers.”

He then spoke about the financial difficulties he has faced throughout his career. Recalling that he started working as a musician and sound engineer in Niketan in 2011, Shoaib said he regularly worked on TVCs, OVCs and various other projects.

“Since I sincerely gave my best effort and maintained deadlines, the number of projects and the flow of money started increasing,” he said.

At the time, Shoaib worked out of a small one-room studio in Niketan. However, as he did not have anyone specifically responsible for collecting his payments, the amount owed to him by various producers and directors gradually increased.

“There was no one to chase people down for the money. I kept working because I enjoyed the work, while a mountain of unpaid amounts accumulated with my director friends,” Shoaib wrote.

According to Shoaib, the unpaid fees include payments for TVCs, OVCs, web series and even films. Referring to the period from 2012 to 2026, he claimed, “In terms of money, the figure will in no way be less than Tk 50 lakh.”

He also spoke about his current financial situation amid the long-standing unpaid dues. Shoaib said that, after recently upgrading his studio, he is now also having to bear the cost of his medical treatment. To cover these expenses, he said he has had to use his mother’s savings and break her savings certificates.

“Some time ago, I had to pay for upgrading my studio, and now I have to cover my medical expenses with my mother’s savings by breaking her savings certificates,” he wrote.

Shoaib described the situation as an example of how the entertainment industry treats its artistes and creative professionals.

“This is an example of the horrific reality of how this industry treats its talent,” he said.

However, Shoaib has not named anyone in his post. Instead, he has given those who owe him money an opportunity to review their records and settle their outstanding payments.

“I am not mentioning anyone in this post for now. I am giving you this opportunity. I am giving you this month. Take out those dusty files, update your records and come to the studio for tea at the beginning of October, and pay the money you owe with respect,” he wrote.

In the final part of his post, Shoaib issued a stern warning that he may reveal the identities of those who fail to clear their dues.

Shoaib, who is skilled in playing several musical instruments, has worked on the music of critically and commercially acclaimed films including “Hawa”, “Swapnajaal” and “Roid”. He is also one of the sound designers on the acclaimed web series “Dui Shaw”. Several songs featuring his vocals have also won appreciation from listeners.