Renowned Rabindra Sangeet artist Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya has been awarded the "Firoza Begum Memorial Gold Medal" for her outstanding contributions to the field of music.
DU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique handed over the award in a programme held at Sir Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate building in Dhaka University on Thursday.
The DU Music department, in association with ACI Foundation, introduced the award last year to preserve the memories of the legendary Nazrul artist Firoza Begum.
Prof Siddique said: "It is our duty to introduce Firoza Begum to our young generation. Our youths would not have been involved in militancy had they practiced our own culture.”
"After the demise of our national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, someone had said that Nazrul had gone but Firoza still existed," he added.
Receiving the award, Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya said that an artist cannot be evaluated through any prize or recognition but when it comes from a special institution and is named after an artist like Firoza Begum, it is a great honour.
“I have been listening to her songs since my childhood and today I am very happy to have the prize named after her,” the artiste added.
Jannatul Ferdous Neela, the highest CGPA holder in the BA Hons exam held in 2016, was also awarded a gold medal during the programme along with a prize money of Tk20,000.
The Firoza Begum Memorial Gold Medal Trust Fund was founded at Dhaka University on February 23, 2016 in the memory of legendary Nazrul Sangeet singer Firoza Begum. Last year, the award was given to prominent singer Sabina Yasmin.
Firoza Begum was the wife of the subcontinent's top music director Kamal Dasgupta and the mother of band artists Shafin Ahmed and Hamin Ahmed.
Presided over by DU treasurer Prof Kamal Uddin, the programme was attended by Arts faculty Dean Prof Abu Md. Delwar Hossain, acting Chairperson of the Music department Prof Tumpa Rani Samaddar, and ACI group Chairman M Anis Ud Dowla, among others.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
