DHAKA: Noted Rabindra Sangeet singer and Ekushey-Padak recipient Papiya Sarwar has died at a private hospital in Dhaka after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was 72 years old. Sarwar, a revered figure in the world of Rabindra Sangeet, passed away this morning at around 8 am, according to family sources.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Sarwar’s funeral prayer, or namaj-e janaza, is scheduled to take place after the Juma prayers tomorrow. She will then be laid to rest at Banani graveyard. Sarwar is survived by her husband and two daughters. Born in Barishal on November 21, 1952, she began her musical journey at Chhayanaut, enrolling as a student in class VI. By 1967, she was a listed artist with Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television.
In 1973, Sarwar earned a degree in Rabindra Sangeet from Bisva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India, after receiving a scholarship from the Indian government. Her first audio album, “Papiya Sarwar,” was released in 1982, and her last album, “Ak
ash Pane Had Baralam,” came out in 2013. She was honored with the Rabindra Award in 2013 by the Bangla Academy and received a fellowship from the same institution in 2015. In 2021, she was awarded the Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian honors in Bangladesh. Sarwar also served as the general secretary of Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad, contributing significantly to the promotion and preservation of Rabindra Sangeet.