Indra Mohan Rajbongshi speaks at the programmePhoto: STAR

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) arranged a memorial programme to pay tribute to the renowned dotara player Abinash Chandra Sheel at the National Music and Dance Centre, BSA on February 28. Speakers discussed the life and works of the dotara maestro at the programme. A cultural programme followed the discussion.
Director of National Music and Dance Centre, BSA, Sunil Chandra Das gave the welcome speech. Director General of BSA, Kamrul Hasan, ndc presided over the discussion. Noted folk singer Indra Mohan Rajbongshi; M. A. Khaleque and lyricist Hasan Matiur Rahman reminisced on Abinash Sheel and his accomplishments.
Among others, Mannan Hawladar, director of Research and Publication Department, BSA; Ashutosh Sheel, elder brother of the late Abinash Sheel and Arup Kumar Sheel, son of Abinash Sheel spoke at the programme.
At the cultural programme, members of the Kanai Lal Sheel Shilpi Gosthi performed several folk songs. Ajit Kumar Sheel and Arup Kumar Sheel, sons of Abinash Sheel, played dotara at the programme.
Abinash Chandra Sheel passed away on December 6 last year at the age of 54. He was the youngest son of dotara maestro and music composer Kanai Lal Sheel. He represented Bangladesh as a member of the cultural teams performing in Canada, France, England, Sweden, Norway, Japan and South Africa.
Abinash Sheel was a Freedom Fighter. He was also a member of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra. He joined Bangladesh Betar as a staff artiste but later resigned from the job.