Abdul Alim migrated from Murshidabad to Dhaka after the partition of India in 1947, and joined the Dhaka Radio Station as a staff artiste. By the age of 14, he had recorded two songs. In Dhaka, he took lessons from Mumtaz Ali Khan and Mohammed Hossain Khosru.[4][1] He got his breakthrough while performing songs at theAlia Madrasah in Calcutta. He was awarded five gold medals for his performances and contributions to music at the All Pakistan music conference in Lahore.[5]
Abdul Alim recorded over 300 Gramophone records.[1] He sang playbacks in over 100 films.[1] He recorded songs for Mukh O Mukhosh, the first film to be produced in the erstwhile East Pakistan.[5]
Abdul Alim has three sons (Jahir Alim, Azgar Alim and Haider Alim) and four daughters (Akhter Jahan Alim, Asia Alim, Nurjahan Alim and Zohora Alim).[8]Alim died on 5 September 1974, at PG Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[9]
His wife Begum Jamila Khatun died on 13 October 2020 at Yamagata Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
A research-based book on Abdul Alim's life, titled Bangla Loko Sangeet-er Amar Kanthoshilpi Abdul Alim along with a DVD, titled Tomaro Lagiarey, were launched in 2015.[10]