Singer Sabina Yasmin honoured with first-ever Firoza Begum Gold Medal

Popular singer Sabina Yasmin has been honoured with the prestigious Firoza Begum Memorial Gold Medal this year for her contributions to music in Bangladesh.

A cancer survivor, Sabina received the award at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban Auditorium on Thursday.
 
The Department of Music of the Dhaka University has introduced the award in memory of the doyen of Nazrul Sangeet, the late Firoza Begum.

The programme was organised by the university's "Firoza Begum Memorial Gold Medal Trust Fund" marking the 90th birth anniversary of Firoza Begum, who was known as 'The Nightingale of Bangladesh'.
 

Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique put the medal, conferred by the Trust Fund, around Sabina’s neck. 

The Trust Fund’s donor and ACI Foundation Chairman Anis Ud Dowla handed her a cheque of Tk 100,000 in prize money. 

DU’s Pro-VC (Academic) Prof Nasreen Ahmad decorated her with an Uttorio.

“It’s a very memorable day in my life, a day of much happiness and pride. Firoza Begum is our favourite singer. Definitely, there is no-one in the world who has listened to her and but has not liked her songs,” Sabina Yasmin said in her reaction.

“I’m very glad that the first gold medal introduced in 2016 has been bestowed upon me. Being a former student of Dhaka University, my sincerest gratitude goes to the university authorities, jury board, members of the trustee board, and the members of Firoza Apa.”

“The last time I had spoken with Firoza Apa was at the centennial of Kamal Dasgupta. How amazingly she sang there at such an advanced age, I was so surprised that I’d told Shafin (Firoza Begum’s son), ‘See, would we be able to sing this way!”

“Great singers like her don’t come in ages. I’m not sure if there will ever be anyone like her.”