Legendary Tagore song exponent Mita Haque passes away

Legendary Tagore song exponent Mita Haque passed away on Sunday at a hospital in Dhaka at the age of 59. She was suffering from coronavirus-related complications and battling for life at the Bangladesh Specialised Hospital in the capital. Mita Haque's son-in-law Actor Mostafiz Shahin announced the sad news.

The singer contracted the coronavirus and was released from hospital four days ago when 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 separate messages, they conveyed heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family. The body of Mita Haque was taken to Chayanat in the morning on Sunday to pay last homage. She was then laid to rest at Boro Monohariya in Keraniganj, next to her parents' graves.  Mita Haque also suffering from kidney disease for last five years and after she became infected with Covid-19, 

her mental and physical conditions worsened. Mita Haque was born in September 1972 in Dhaka. She is the wife of late actor Khaled Khan. Her uncle Wahidul Haque, is a pioneer of the country's cultural movement and a Rabindra researcher. Her daughter Jayita is also a Rabindra Sangeet artiste.

Mita Haque first took lesson on music from her uncle Wahidul Haque and later from Ustad Mohammad Hossain Khan and Sanjeeda Khatun. From 1976, she started learning songs from tabla player Mohammad Hossain Khan who is a listed artist of the highest grade of Bangladesh Betar. In 1990, Beauty Corner released Mita Haque's first Rabindra Sangeet album 'Amar Mon Mane Na'. Sujay Shyam was director in the album.

So far, Mita Haque has given voice in about 200 Rabindra Sangeet. She has released a total of 24 solo albums. Of these, 14 are from India and 10 from Bangladesh. She received the Shilpakala Padak in 2016. The Government awarded her the Ekushey Padak in 2020 for her important contribution in music. She also has a song school called 'Surtirtha'. She also served as the head of the Rabindra Sangeet department in Chayanat. She was also the Vice President of Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad.