Sanjida Khatun, Cultural Icon and Chhayanaut President, Passes Away

Sanjida Khatun, revered cultural luminary and president of Chhayanaut, passed away at Dhaka’s Square Hospital at 3:10 am today. She was 92.

A towering figure in Bangladesh’s cultural landscape, she died of age-related complications, according to family sources. Her contributions to the preservation and promotion of Rabindra Sangeet and Bengali cultural heritage spanned over seven decades.

An Ekushey Padak winner and recipient of India’s prestigious Padma Shri award, Sanjida Khatun was widely celebrated as a guardian of Bengali artistic traditions. Her lifelong dedication to Rabindra Sangeet shaped generations of musicians, while her leadership at Chhayanaut transformed it into one of the country’s most respected institutions for classical music and dance.

Born in 1933, Sanjida Khatun graduated in Bangla from Dhaka University in 1954, completed her Master’s at India’s Visva-Bharati University in 1955, and later earned a PhD from the same institution in 1978. She went on to teach at Dhaka University, mentoring students with the same passion she brought to her music and cultural work.

In the early 1960s, she co-founded Chhayanaut during a time of cultural suppression, believing in the power of music and art as resistance. During the 1971 Liberation War, she helped establish the Bangladesh Mukti Sangrami Shilpi Sangstha.

Sanjida Khatun’s legacy is deeply woven into the cultural fabric of Bangladesh. Her life’s work – both as an academic and an exponent – will continue to influence and inspire generations to come.