Namita Ghosh, the first female voice artiste of the wartime Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, has passed away at a Dhaka hospital. She was 65.
According to media reports, she was undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at Popular Medical College Hospital, where she breathed her last around 10pm Friday -- the day when Bangladesh celebrated 50 years of independence.
Her sister Kabita Ghosh told reporters that Namita’s body was kept at the mortuary in BIRDEM General Hospital.
A guard of honour was accorded to Namita at the capital’s Pogose Laboratory School and College premises around 11am Saturday. The family is yet to decide on her funeral, Kavita said.
Namita, who joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra at 14 as the first female voice artist during the 1971 Liberation War, has been suffering from cancer and eye diseases for a long time. She tested positive for Covid-19 on March 15.
Just several days before, on March 12, she had performed on a Bangladesh Television program following a long hiatus after her cancer went into remission.
At the time, Kabita told reporters that Namita -- who was suffering from fever, cough and respiratory issues due to Covid-19 -- was moved to Popular Medical College Hospital after her condition worsened during her stay at two other hospitals.
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