Dhaka, Bangladesh — June 3, 2025:
Yasir Arafat Rahim, a 17-year-old student from Dhaka, is among a small but growing number of young artists using digital platforms to share music independently. While still completing his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) at Mirpur College, Rahim has been writing, recording, and releasing original songs that reflect his experiences and interests.

Raised in a middle-class household as the eldest of three brothers, Rahim’s involvement in music began informally. He completed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) from Monipur High School in 2024. During his school years, music was a personal pursuit, but it gained more structure after his SSC exams. In early 2023, at the age of 16, he uploaded a cover of a Bollywood song, Apna Bana Le, to streaming platforms. The track was later removed due to copyright restrictions.

Following a temporary break to focus on school exams, Rahim shifted to creating original work. His first officially released song, Tere Bina, came out in February 2025. The track marked his entry into songwriting and composing. It was followed by Chehara Tera, a Punjabi-language pop track released in May. Both songs were distributed on online music services, including Spotify and YouTube, where they attracted small but consistent attention.

Later in 2025, Rahim released his first album, Forever Love, which includes songs in Hindi, Punjabi, and English. The album features themes such as emotional conflict, romantic relationships, and self-reflection. Its tracklist includes In Your Eyes, Tere Naam, and Dil Ki Sadaa. According to Rahim, he draws influence from South Asian playback singers such as Arijit Singh and Atif Aslam.

What sets Rahim apart from earlier generations of musicians is his use of digital distribution. Like many emerging artists across South Asia, he relies on publicly accessible platforms for publishing his work. Without formal representation or support from a record label, he uses widely available home-recording tools and self-managed social media accounts to reach listeners.

This approach reflects broader changes in the music industry in Bangladesh and neighboring countries. Improved internet access, affordable recording software, and mobile technology have lowered the barrier to entry for music production. As a result, younger artists are choosing to release their work directly to digital platforms rather than pursue traditional industry routes.

Though Rahim's audience is currently limited to online listeners, his experience illustrates the potential for new voices to emerge outside of conventional structures. His songs are written, recorded, and edited independently, and while they have not achieved mainstream attention, they have generated engagement among a small group of followers.

As of mid-2025, Rahim continues to balance his academic responsibilities with creative work. He has not announced specific future projects but has expressed interest in exploring music in additional languages and potentially collaborating with other independent artists.

His story is one of several emerging from Bangladesh’s changing cultural landscape, where technology is enabling young people to create and share art in ways that were not accessible a decade ago.