One of the senior fakirs of the Jalangi region, Akbar Fakir is a man of powerful presence but very few words. A longtime mentor of Chhoto Golam Fakir from his own village of Jhaudiya, Golam`s latter-day tutelage in the Boirabori tariqa under Rashid Sarkar brought Akbar close to the Rashidi canon of songs as well. Boiraboris consider their tariqa as part of the tradition of Ahl-al-Bayt through their Chistiya lineage, and Sufi-influenced tattwa songs as well as narrative ballads about Sufi personages (being packaged of late as `Bangla Qawwali` in India) form a major part of their singing repertoire.