Eminent Tagore song exponent Papia Sarwar dies at 71

The Ekushey Padak-winning Rabindra Sangeet singer was battling cancer for three years

Award-winning Rabindra Sangeet singer Papia Sarwar has died after a long battle with cancer.

She passed away while undergoing treatment at Impulse Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday morning, her husband Sarwar Alam said.

He told bdnews24.com, “Papia is no longer with us. The doctors declared her dead after turning off her life support between 7am and 8am."

Asked where the funeral and burial would take place, he said: "It is not yet decided. She might be buried at the Banani graveyard after funeral prayers at the Eidgah ground in Dhanmondi."

Papia, 71, had been suffering from cancer for the past three years and received treatment at hospitals in Bangladesh and abroad.

The 2021 Ekushey Padak recipient was put on “life support” at a private hospital in Dhaka after her condition deteriorated recently.

Citing the physicians at 8pm on Wednesday, Sarwar told bdnews24.com: “Papia is currently on life support. We are all here at the hospital. My daughter has come from abroad. Now, we are waiting."

Best known for her popular song “Nai Telephone Naire Peon Naire Telegram,” Papia's fame is rooted in her performance of Rabindranath’s songs. She is, however, also recognised for her modern songs.

In 2013, she received the Rabindra Award from the Bangla Academy, followed by the Bangla Academy Fellowship in 2015.

Earlier this year, she was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rabindra Mela organised by Channel i.

Papia was born in Barishal and was a student of Zoology at Dhaka University.

In 1973, she went to Visva-Bharati University in India on a scholarship to pursue a degree in Rabindra Sangeet.

The singer trained in music under Wahidul Haque, Sanjida Khatun, and Zahidur Rahim at Chhayanaut in 1966, and later studied at Bulbul Lalitkala Academy.

Papia’s two daughters, Zara Sarwar and Jisha Sarwar, reside in the United States’ New Jersey and Canada, respectively.