Planning Adviser Professor Wahid Uddin Mahmud today spoke at a ceremony at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Sept 7, 2025 (BSS) – Planning Adviser Professor Wahid Uddin Mahmud today said that legendary singer Sabina Yasmin is not only a national treasure but also an invaluable asset to the country.
 
“There is no need to introduce the person we are honoring today. She is truly a legend and an invaluable asset to the nation,” the adviser said at an honoring ceremony.
 
The ceremony and performance event was organized by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, where Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki delivered the welcome speech.
 
Cabinet Secretary Dr. Sheikh Abdur Rashid, Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Mofidur Rahman, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and BNP Standing Committee Member Salah Uddin Ahmed, among others, were present on the occasion.
 
On behalf of the state, Prof. Wahid honored singer Sabina Yasmin with an uttorio, a crest, and a memento.
 
Reflecting on her career, the adviser said, “In the late 1960s, when I was a university student and a young faculty member, the golden era of Bangla cinema, music, and literature had just begun. At that time, most of the songs we used to hum were sung by Sabina Yasmin. Though we came from different worlds, her songs always connected us.”
 
Praising her unmatched contribution, he added, “There is hardly any honor or award in Bangladesh that Sabina Yasmin has not received since independence. This state reception may not add anything new to her long list of accolades, but for us, it is truly a matter of great pride.”