Renowned musicologist, singer, composer, researcher, and writer Mustafa Zaman Abbasi has passed away at the age of 89.
He breathed his last in the early hours of Saturday at a hospital in Dhaka’s Banani area.
His daughter, singer Samira Abbasi, confirmed the news in a Facebook post accompanied by a photo of her father, writing: “So I won’t get to see you ever again!”
A revered figure in the world of Bangla music, Abbasi was the youngest son of legendary folk singer Abbas Uddin Ahmed.
He played a vital role in preserving and promoting traditional and classical music in Bangladesh.
His decades-long contributions spanned performance, education, and research, and he was known for popularising the works of mystic poets such as Lalon, Hason Raja, and Radharaman Dutta.
He authored several books on musicology and the cultural history of Bengal, and hosted widely acclaimed music programs on Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, helping to educate new generations about the country’s rich musical heritage.
In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh awarded him the Ekushey Padak, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, in recognition of his contributions to the arts.
Abbasi`s passing marks the end of an era for Bangla music and cultural scholarship.
