Sadi Mohammad receives the award from Sudhin Das and Shykh Seraj.

On the occasion of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore's 151st birth anniversary, Channel i hosted 'Rabindra Mela' yesterday at the TV station premises in Tejgaon, Dhaka. The mela was in continuation of Channel i's annual endeavours to celebrate the life and works of the most iconic Bengali poets.
At this year's 'Rabindra Mela', Channel i honoured renowned Tagore singer Sadi Mohammad with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to promoting and teaching Rabindra Sangeet in Bangladesh. Previously this award was conferred on Kalim Sharafi, Ajit Roy, Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya and Fahmida Khatun.
Noted personalities, including Nazrul exponent Sudhin Das; litterateur Syed Shamsul Haq; Language Movement veteran Ahmed Rafiq; artist Hashem Khan; danseuse and cultural activist Laila Hasan and filmmaker Morshedul Islam attended the opening of the mela in the morning.
After the formal inauguration, that included releasing balloons and pigeons in the sky, the crest and a cheque worth Taka one lakh were handed to Sadi Mohammad by Sudhin Das and Shykh Seraj, head of news and director, Channel i.
The mela accommodated nearly 20 stalls featuring CDs and DVDs of Rabindra Sangeet; film and TV adaptations of Tagore stories, novels and poems as well as clothes, toys and more.
Eminent artists, including Abdul Mannan, Biren Shome, Ranjit Das, Shamsuddoha, Farzana Ahmed Urmi and others painted portraits of the bard and on the themes inspired by his work.
The mela also featured live performances of Rabindra Sangeet and dance. Performing singers were: Sadi Mohammad, Bulbul Islam, Lili Islam, Audity Mohsin, Sajed Akbar, Salma Akbar, Shama Rahman, Anima Roy and Tapan Mahmud. Among dance organisations, Baitalik, Nrityam, Natraj and Bhorer Pakhi staged performances.
Channel i aired the mela and performances live.