Dr. Mridul Kanti Chakrobarty passes away

Dr. Mridul Kanti Chakrobarty -- noted singer, instrumentalist, writer, researcher, music critic and Professor at the department of Music, Dhaka University -- died yesterday at Labaid Cardiac Hospital in the capital. He was 56. Dr. Chakrobarty was severely dehydrated. Yesterday morning at around 10, when dehydration caused heart attack, he was rushed from his Fuller Road residence to the hospital where he succumbed to death after an hour.
In the afternoon, his body was taken to Aparajeyo Bangla, University of Dhaka, where people from all walks of life including Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor AAMS Siddique and Shammilito Shangskritik Jote President Nasiruddin Yousuf were eagerly waiting to know what actually happened to Chakrobarty.
Leaders of DU Teachers' Association, other professors, cultural personalities, researchers, singers, and students paid tribute to Dr. Mridul Kanti Chakrobarty.
Rezwana Chowdhury Bonnya, a colleague of Dr. Chakrobarty, is on the way from Kolkata. She has requested to keep his remains till her arrival.
Bangladesh Loko Sangeet Parishad held a memorial programme for Dr. Chakrobarty at its centre in Kakrail, Dhaka yesterday evening.
Dr. Chakrobarty completed his B. Mus (1980) and M. Mus (1982) with distinction from Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan, West Bengal. He earned his PhD (1994) from the same university, for his dissertation on “Trend of Bengali Music and Rabindra Sangeet Inspired by Folk Tunes (Eighth to Twentieth century)”. During his stay at Visva Bharati, Dr. Chakrobarty took lessons in ancient Bangla songs, Rabindra Sangeet and classical music from Monmoth Nath Roy, Ashesh Bandyopadhayay, Mohon Singh Khangura, Kanika Bandyopadhyay, Nilima Sen, Gora Sarbadhikari, Manju Bandyopadhyay, VV Oajhalwar and Deben Das Baul.
Dr. Chakrobarty devised a music instrument called 'surashree' that resembles dotara. He was also the founder chairman of the music troupe SURMA (Students United for Research in Musical Activities).
Dr. Chakrobarty wrote and edited a number of research-based books on music and music composers. Among his published works are: “Hason Raja, Taar Gaan-er Tori”; “Bangla Gaan-er Dhara”; “Gaan-er Jhorna Tolaye”; “Loko Sangeet”; “Sangeet Sanglaap”; “Hajar Bochhorer Bangla Gaan”; “Baul Kobi Lalon O Taar Gaan”; “Pancho Kobir Gaan”; “Bhasha O Desher Gaan”; “Harano Din-er Gaan” and more. His essays on music, published in several national and international dailies and journals, are considered authoritative.
Mridul Kanti Chakrobarty's remains will be at Central Shaheed Minar premises tomorrow morning for public viewing. His funeral will be held at his ancestral home in Sunamganj.