Ekushey Padak-winning folk artist Shushama Das has passed away. She was 95.
She breathed her last on Wednesday afternoon at her residence in Hawladar Para, Sylhet.
The esteemed artist had been suffering from various age-related illnesses for quite some time.
At around 7:30pm, her mortal remains were kept at the Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar, where various social and cultural organizations paid tribute with floral wreaths.
According to family sources, she had been critically ill since March 13, teetering between life and death.
As her condition deteriorated, she was kept at home under care, they said.
Shushama Das had an illustrious career, having performed alongside legendary folk artists such as Baul Samrat Shah Abdul Karim, Baul Durbin Shah, Baul Ali Hossain Sarkar, and Baul Kamal Pasha, among other veteran musicians of Bangladesh.
In recognition of her contributions to folk music, she was honored with the Ekushey Padak in 2017.
She also received numerous other awards throughout her lifetime as a devoted folk artist.
Shushama Das was born in 1929 in Putka village of Shalla upazila, Sunamganj.
Her father, Rasiklal Das, was a renowned folk poet, while her mother, Dibyamayi Das, was also a folk poet.
Among six siblings, Shushama was the eldest. Her younger brother, Pandit Ramkanai Das, an Ekushey Padak awardee, was a legendary figure in classical music in the subcontinent.
Several other members of her family are also dedicated to music.
Her passing has cast a shadow of grief over the cultural sphere of Sylhet.
