C T Online Desk: Ekushey Padak-winning Rabindra Sangeet artist Papia Sarwar has passed away aged 72.
She breathed her last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Dhaka at 8am on Thursday, her husband Sarwar Alam confirmed.
He said the body would be kept at the Birdem hospital morgue, adding that the burial would take place at Banani graveyard following a funeral prayer after the Jummah prayer.
The singer is survived by her husband and two children.
Papia had been battling cancer for several years.
Last month, she underwent treatment at a hospital in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area. Later, she was admitted to another private hospital in Tejgaon, where she ultimately passed away.
Born in Barisal on November 21, 1952, Papia showed a deep passion for Rabindra Sangeet from a young age. She joined Chhayanaut in sixth grade and later enrolled in the Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts.
She became a listed artist for radio and television in 1967.
A zoology graduate from Dhaka University, she pursued a degree in Rabindra Sangeet at Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan, in 1973, under a scholarship from the Indian government. She was the first student from independent Bangladesh to receive this scholarship.
Before that, she trained under Wahidul Haque, Sanjida Khatun and Zahidur Rahim at Chhayanaut.
Her debut audio album, “Papia Sarwar,” was released in 1982.
Over her illustrious career, she earned immense admiration for her distinctive voice and rendition of Rabindra Sangeet.
She also achieved notable success in modern Bangla music. The song “Nai Telephone Naire Pion Naire Telegram” brought her widespread popularity among Bangla music lovers.
Experts attribute her limited discography to her selective approach to choosing songs.
Her last album, “Akashpane Haat Baralam,” was released in 2013.
Papia Sarwar received the Rabindra Award from the Bangla Academy in 2013 and a fellowship in 2015. She was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2021.
She also served as general secretary of the National Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad and later as a member of its executive committee.
