Singer Papia Sarwar passes away

Ekushey Padak-winning and acclaimed Rabindra Sangeet singer Papia Sarwar has passed away. She breathed her last at 8:00 am on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital.

Papia’s husband, Sarwar Alam, confirmed the news to the media, adding that her body would be kept at the BIRDEM morgue. She will be laid to rest at the Banani graveyard following a namaz-e-janaza after Jummah prayers.

Papia had been battling cancer for several years. She had been receiving treatment at a private hospital in Tejgaon, Dhaka, for the past five days. Prior to this, she had undergone treatment at another hospital in the capital.

Born in Barisal, Papia was a student of the Department of Zoology at Dhaka University. In 1973, she went to India on a scholarship from the Indian government to pursue a degree in Rabindra Sangeet at Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan. Earlier, in 1966, she had taken music lessons from Wahidul Haq, Sanjida Khatun, and Zahedur Rahim at Chhayanaut and later studied at Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts.

In 1996, Papia founded a musical group called Geetsudha. Throughout her illustrious career, she earned the admiration of audiences for her performances of Rabindra Sangeet. She was also popular in modern music. Her rendition of the song "Nai Telephone Naire Pion Nai Telegram" brought her widespread recognition among Bengali music lovers.

In 2013, Papia received the Rabindra Puraskar from Bangla Academy. In 2015, she was granted a Fellowship by the academy. In 2021, she was honored with the Ekushey Padak.