'Lalon Queen' Farida Parveen laid to rest

Eminent Lalon singer and Ekushey Padak recipient Farida Parveen, widely known as the ‘Queen of Lalon Song’, was laid to rest next to her parents’ graves at the Kushtia Municipal Graveyard on Sunday night.

The burial took place following her second namaz-e-janaza after Isha prayers around 9:00pm.

The ambulance carrying her body arrived at the graveyard at approximately 8:30pm.

Various organisations, including the Kushtia district administration, paid tribute to the legendary artist at the site. Her son Imam Nahil Sumon and other family members were present during the burial.

Among those in attendance were Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Abu Hasnat Mohammad Arefin, poet and intellectual Farhad Mazhar, noted Lalon researcher Lalim Haque, members of the Lalon Academy, and people from all walks of life who came to bid a final farewell to one of Bangladesh’s most beloved cultural icons.

Earlier in the day, following hospital formalities, Farida Parveen’s body was brought to her Tejkunipara residence in the capital. At around 10:30am, it was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar, where people from all walks of life paid their last respects.

Her first janaza was held at the Dhaka University Central Mosque, after which the family departed for Kushtia at around 1:00pm. She was initially scheduled to be buried after Maghrib prayers, but due to adverse weather, the burial was delayed.

Farida passed away at the Universal Medical College Hospital, Mohakhali, on Saturday night. She was 71.

She had been on life support since Wednesday, suffering from multi-organ failures. Medical boards had been formed, and physicians tried their best to stabilize her condition but were unable to do so.

The renowned artist had long battled kidney complications alongside other health issues. She was admitted to the hospital on September 2 for routine dialysis, but her condition worsened, prompting a transfer to the ICU.

The singer had been admitted to the ICU four times over the past six months due to recurring health complications. Both of her kidneys had stopped functioning recently, and her condition became critical due to multi-organ failure, according to her family.

Born on December 31, 1954, Farida Parveen began her musical journey in 1968 as a listed singer at Rajshahi Betar, performing Nazrul songs.

She gained recognition in 1973 through patriotic songs before receiving formal training in Lalon music under Moksed Ali Shah, eventually emerging as a living legend of the genre.

Her first husband was the eminent lyricist and singer Abu Zafar, most famous for his patriotic song “Ei Padma Ei Meghna.” From that marriage, she had three sons and a daughter: Zihan Faria, Imam Nimeri Upal, Imam Nahil, and Imam Zafar Numanee. She later married renowned flautist Gazi Abdul Hakim.

Farida Parveen’s contributions to popularising Lalon Sai’s lyrics and melodies is widely recognized. She performed Lalon songs not only across Bangladesh but also in Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and many other countries.

Although she is best known as a Lalon singer, several modern and patriotic songs in her voice became popular. Through renditions such as “Khachar Vitor Ochin Pakhi,” “Barir Kache Arshinagar,” and “Ei Padma Ei Meghna,” she secured a lasting place in the hearts of her fans. She also established the ‘Achin Pakhi School’ to teach Lalon songs to the younger generation.

For her outstanding contributions to music, she received the Ekushey Padak in 1987. She also won the National Film Award as Best Female Singer in 1993 for the song “Nindar Kata” from the film 'Andho Prem' and was awarded Japan’s Fukuoka Prize in 2008.

She was also the Founder and Chairperson of the Farida Parveen Foundation.