The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Sargam, country's only regular monthly magazine on music, completed its 12th year of publication On October 31. To celebrate the occasion, a discussion and musical soiree were held at the National Music and Dance Centre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy recently.

The day-long programme was inaugurated with conference and a short training session followed by Mirza Tarequl Kader, Executive Director of Bangladesh Institute of Journalism and Electronic Media (BIJEM). About 70 representatives of the magazine throughout the country attended the training session held the VIP Lounge of National Press Club.

In the afternoon, a discussion meeting was held which was presided over by Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Noted lyricist KG Mustafa, litterateur and music exponent Abdus Shakur, Shawkat Mahmud, President of the National Press Club, Saiful Bari, Chief Advisor of ATN Bangla, Mabubuz Zaman social activist, among others, spoke on the occasion. Quazi Rawnaq Hossain, Editor of Sargam, coordinated the event.

In the discussion, the speakers appreciated the extensive effort by the magazine to orient the masses towards classical music.

KG Mustafa, lyricists of many songs of 60's, said, "Music is the cultural identity of a nation. What has been going on in the name of music at present, is a cultural disaster for our future generation."

At the function, Sargam honoured seasoned cultural activist Shafiur Rahman, General Secretary of Shuddha Sangeet Prashar Gosthi, for his contribution, dedication and role to popularise and spread classical music in Bangladesh forty years.

Later Nazrul artiste Ulka Hossain rendered Nazrul song and other popular songs of Sandhya Mukherjee. Artistes Promod Dutta, Iffat Ara Nargis, Khurshid Alam, Hasan Choudhury, Perveen Sultana, Shireen Shila and Jamil Ibrahim, among others, performed at the musical evening.