National Film Award-winning singer Shammi Akhtar passed away at the age of 62 yesterday afternoon. She was suffering from cancer for five years. The noted singer had to stay away from the music scene for a long time due to cancer.

Shammi Akhtar started her musical journey with the country’s Radio station in the 1970, while she made her debut in the playback with the film ‘Oshikkhito’ directed by Azizur Rahman in 1980. Two of her songs in this film ‘Jemon Achi Temon Robo Bou Hobonare’ and ‘Dhaka Shohor Aisa Amar Asha Puraichhe’ helped her to gain huge popularity, and following the success of the playback songs, Shammi Akhtar lent her vocal to more than three hundred songs in the films.

Her notable songs include ‘Ami Tomar Bodhu’, ‘Chithi Asbe Jani Asbe’ (Aradhona), ‘Lekhapora Korle’ (Kalmilata), ‘Khelibo Premer Pasha’, ‘Nao Go Amare Kache Deke Nao’, ‘Bodhu Jedin Hoite ‘ (Biroho Byatha) , ‘Tumi Amar Bondhu’ (Padma Meghna Jamuna) and  ‘Bhalobaslei Ghor Bandha Jay Na’ (Bhalobaslei Ghor Bandha Jay Na).

Shammi received the prestigious National Film Award in the year 2010 for her song in the film ‘Bhalobaslei Ghor Badha Jay Na’ directed by Jakir Hossain Raju.

Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor expressed deep shock at the demise of Shammi Akther. Her fellow artistes, fans and well-wishers also mourned her death. Singers Khurshid Alam, Rafiqul Alam, Tapan Mahmud, lyricist Kabir Bakul and actress Romana Islam, among others, visited the residence of Shammi Akhtar to express their condolences.  

Khurshid Alam said, “Shammi Akhtar is one of them who got huge popularity after the Liberation War. She never showed any pride. She always paid proper respect to the persons who he or she deserves it.”

Rafiqul Alam said, “There are many artistes in our country, but it is difficult to be a great singer like Shammi Akhtar.”

Tapan Mahmud said, “She was very popular as an artiste, but she was a good soul before her identity of an artiste.  Her ill-timed death has created a void in the music scene.”

Shammi Akhtar was born on February 22, 1955 in Khulna. At the age of 6, she was influenced to learn music by her father Shamsul Karim and mother Rabeya Khatun. She then took her training to Ustad Goura Babu, Babu Baman Das Guha Ray, Ranjit Debnath, Sadhan Sarkar, Nasir Haider and Pranbondhu Shaha. She got married to singer Akramul Islam in 1977, where they have two offspring named Kamal and Sajia.