The 18th edition of the Channel i Music Awards is set to take place on October 18. During this event, artistes in the music industry will receive awards in 22 different categories at a five-star hotel in Dhaka.

This year, Shujeo Shyam, the composer and music director of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the industry.

The Channel i Music Awards began in 2004 with the goal of paying tribute to outstanding music compositions. To provide more details about the upcoming event, a press conference was held at the Channel i office on Tuesday morning.

Regarding the programme, musician Syed Abdul Hadi stated at a press conference, "Channel i has been, is, and will continue to honour individuals in the cultural sphere for a long time. Its ability to do so is driven by its sincere commitment to Bangladeshi art and culture. I've been associated with this event from the beginning, and I can vouch for its impartiality in conducting this music award. I am delighted to see this event honouring artistes."

However, unfortunately, Shujeo Shyam couldn't attend the press conference as he is currently battling cancer and high blood pressure.

In a phone call, the esteemed musician expressed, "It brings me immense joy and a sense of good fortune. I now feel like I am nearing the end of my time due to my cancer diagnosis, but I am grateful that they have chosen me because there is no award ceremony for music in such a comprehensive sense in Bangladesh. Moreover, considering the current state of music, Channel i can be said to be advocating for the promotion, expansion, and support of pure music. They air a music program every morning, consistently introduce talented young artistes every year, and even organise a separate music award ceremony. They have also arranged a dedicated festival for bands with Ayub Bachchu. Overall, the admiration and recognition I have received from them mean a great deal to me."

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"Channel i always sincerely invites us to their events. For several years, artistes from our Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra have had a reserved table in their canteen, where the food is provided free of cost. I don't view it as just a free meal; it's a unique form of respect for artistes. I mention this because no one else extends such invitations to us. I have seen artistes like Ferdausi Apa, Runa Laila, Sabina Yasmin, and Abdul Jabbar being respected just as much as us. They genuinely care about all artistes," he added.

Faridur Reza Sagar, managing director of Channel i, concluded the event by expressing his gratitude to everyone associated with the channel. He said, "I believe it would be challenging to find a Bengali who does not love music. Channel i even starts the morning with an hour-long music programme called 'Gaan Diye Shuru'. Our channel has always been deeply connected with music and will continue to maintain this association."

Various artistes, including Farida Parveen, Salauddin Ahmed, Khurshid Alam, Tapan Chowdhury, Manam Ahmed, Shuvro Dev, Mehreen, Konal, amongst others, were also present at the press conference.