Entertainment Desk

Papia Sarwar, one of Bangladesh's most renowned and prolific Rabindra Sangeet artistes, passed away at a private hospital in the capital on Thursday. She was 72.

She breathed her last at the hospital around 8 am, her husband Sarwar Alam told media.

The Ekushey Padak-winning revered singer , who had been battling with cancer for three years, was admitted to the ICU and placed on life support following a deterioration in her health condition on Wednesday.

She is survived by her husband and two daughters- Zaara Sarwar and Jisha SarwarPapia Sarwar .

Born on November 21 into a musically inclined family in Barisal, Papia Sarwar pursued Rabindra Sangeet at Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan in 1973 through a scholarship offered by the government of India.

She was the first recipient of this scholarship after the country's independence.

Earlier, she had received her initial music training from renowned mentors Atiqul Islam, Waheedul Haq, Sanjida Khatun, and Zahidur Rahim at Chhayanaut in 1966, later continuing at the Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA).

Throughout her illustrious musical career, Papia Sarwar earned widespread admiration and numerous accolades for her expertise in Rabindra Sangeet.

In 1996, she established a music group named Geetosudha to share her knowledge with aspiring learners.

Her modern song, ‘Nai Telephone Nai Re Peon Nai Re Telegram’, gained immense popularity among Bengali music enthusiasts.

Besides, she became a well-known and beloved figure in the television industry through her regular musical performances.

For her outstanding contributions to the country’s music scene, Papia Sarwar was honoured with the Rabindra Award from Bangla Academy in 2013, a Bangla Academy Fellowship in 2015 and the Ekushey Padak in 2021.