Singer Mita Haque dies after contracting COVID

Mita Haque, a beloved Rabindra Sangeet singer, has died from coronavirus-related complications at the age of 59, her family said.

She passed away at 6:20 am Sunday while undergoing treatment at the Bangladesh Specialised Hospital in Dhaka, her son-in-law Mostafiz Shahin said.

The singer had contracted the coronavirus and was released from hospital four days ago, after she tested negative for the disease, Shahin said.

"After her condition deteriorated again at home on Saturday, she was admitted back to the hospital. She was then shifted to the ICU. The doctors declared her dead in the morning.”

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed condolences over the passing of the singer who enthralled the audience with the rendering of Tagore songs for decades.

In a message, Hamid said: “People will remember her with respect for her efforts to popularise Rabindra Sangeet in Bangladesh.”

Mita Haque was awarded Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, by the government in 2020 for her contributions to music.

She had 14 solo musical albums released from India and 10 musical albums released from Bangladesh.