Living legend of the subcontinent, Sabina Yasmin received the lifetime achievement award at a festival in Kolkata.

The three-day ‘Bangla Utsab 2019’ is being held at the Nazrul Mancha in South Kolkata, India.

Eminent educationalist and National Professor of Bangladesh Anisuzzaman inaugurated the festival as chief guest on January 4. The event was also attended by Sports Minister of West Bengal Arup Biswas, Bengal Group chairman Abul Khair Litu, MD and CEO Bandhan Bank Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Nothing Beyond Cinema chairman Arindam Sil, among others.

Along with Sabina Yasmin, Indian singer Arati Mukherjee was also honoured with the lifetime achievement award for their tremendous contribution to Bangla music on the opening day of the festival.

After the award ceremony, Sabina Yasmin and Arati Mukherjee rendered some popular songs.

Besides, renowned Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya performed popular Tagore numbers, including ‘Tobo Doya Diye’ and ‘Pran Chaye Chokkhu Na Chaye’.

Subhamita Banerjee, Nachiketa Chakraborty, Fahmida Nabi and Bappa Mazumder performed modern Bangla songs at the festival while Anupam Roy rendered songs from the films on the opening day.

With an aim of promoting the rich musical heritage of Bangladesh in Kolkata, the festival is jointly organised by the Bengal Foundation, Bandhan Bank, Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) and Nothing Beyond Cinema.

Eminent and promising singers from Bangladesh and Kolkata have come together to perform at the three-day festival which will end today.

To note, Sabina Yasmin as a child artiste sang for the first time in Ehtesham-directed film ‘Natun Sur’ in 1962. She made her playback debut with the song ‘Modhu Jyotsna Dipali’ in the film ‘Agun Niye Khela’, directed by Amzad Hossain and Nurul Haque Bacchu, in 1967.

Including Ekushey Award in 1984 and Independence Award in 1996, legendary singer Sabina Yasmin won the National Film Award 13 times till now. In her long music career, Sabina Yasmin has sung over 16000 songs.l