Putul, a former Close-Up One contestant, is not only a popular singer but an endearing TV host as well. Her talent surfaced at the age of four, and she has won 12 gold medals in contests arranged by Education Week, Natun Kuri, Shishu Academy and Islamic Foundation. She has also received awards from other organisations.

In an interview with the Daily Star, she spoke about her passion and drive. 

“Music is my aspiration, and I have always embraced music. I realised that when I saw elder sister perform for Bangladesh Radio and Bangladesh Television. I idolised her, but I did not know then that I would follow in her footsteps. Later, when I was in Brahmanbaria, I trained under her teacher Suren Burman for almost 10 years. After a short break, I trained under Ustad Atiqur Rahman, followed by music lessons from Sujit Mustafa. I have been taking lessons in Nazrul Sangeet and classical music from him since 2005. I also studied in music at UODA. I never took a real break from music.

“My music career started when I took part in Close-Up One. When I made it to the top 10, I felt like I had found my calling. I never regretted that I came sixth in the contest. I was happy to be in the running; besides, I got to know a lot of people who loved my songs and I learnt a lot of things that I never knew. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will not forget.

“Close Up One opened up the doors to the music world but also helped me host the show. I was also a host for Desh TV. But I could never compromise on my love for music, so I decided to take a break from hosting.

“Even though I was a Nazrul singer, Close Up One taught me to sing other genres of songs. This versatility changed my life. And now four albums of mine have been released so far, and they show the diversity of the music I practice.”