Singing Florence Nightingale

When we were small children, we both performed on BTV shows. Our mothers sat around as our chaperons (more her mother Mrs. Shamsun Nahar Shuja, as she loved music and is a great singer herself). We learnt all the songs and even performed on Eid day. My friend Milia Islam Sabed and I were never introduced to each other; our fathers were friends and so were we.

Milia grew into a fine young lady, a singer of repute, especially for her song 'Angulo katiya kolomo banaiyya' and earned fame in her teens on the programme titled 'Anondomela'. Other shows during that time include 'Maloncho' and 'Pashapashi'. Tall, beautiful, vivacious, brilliant and pitch-perfect Milia left for her major in 'Fine Arts' from California State University, Bakersfield, USA. In between, she got married to Captain S.M. Sabed and completed her degree in 1981.

On completion of her bachelors (one of the few singers who did her concentration in voice), she had worked for almost eight years in a private school in Dhaka and continued her singing career rising to be a 'special grade artist' on BTV. Shortly after that, in 1992, she left for Singapore to join her husband.

A new life started for Milia in Singapore. When I called her there in 2001 mentioning our plan to visit her, she said; "Nashid please don't mind that my living room is a mess. My husband's cousin is battling with kidney disease and he is staying with us. The flat is small and he is staying next to the living room. He could stay in a hotel, but that would be so lonely. In any case, what would I do with a nice living room, if it is of no use to this troubled soul?"

I felt like hugging her over the phone. My good wishes could only be blessings for someone so pure, noble and full of empathy. I learnt from her about her care for all her relatives, friends and even unknown people who go to Singapore to seek medical treatment.

On one occasion, she told me about composer Robin Ghosh's brother Badal Ghosh who breathed his last in Singapore. Milia said; "Nashid, uncle had lost his memory but when I sang some old songs, he was able to revive, connect and sing the next lines!"

When my husband Dr. Anis Waiz fell ill, I found Milia running to the grocery store, buying food and cooking everything that he would like. When she visited the hospital with the food, it seemed as if an angel had entered. As angelic as Milia is, so is her husband Sabed. He is an excellent soul (one in a million). Not only do they offer their home to people from their 'own walk of life', their offerings are the same for other people who spend nights in anticipation, or do not carry enough cash for treatment, or even friends from Bangladesh who do not know which doctor to approach and how to get a quick appointment.

In the meantime, she has performed in numerous occasions in the High Commission of Bangladesh (Singapore) as well as other programmes. To date, she has five compact discs to her credit. One of them, titled 'Tumi baisakh hoye eshecho' was released from India. Specializing in modern songs, Milia's other CD's have songs tuned by maestros such as  Alauddin Ali, Lucky Akhand, Fuad Naser Babu, Bappa Mazumder and the songs exemplify her versatility. She has sung in several BTV special shows and those on private channels 'Bhalobasho More Gaan', Sinhalese song in the SAARC festival. Some of her songs are available on YouTube.

She is the Principal of Bangladesh Language and Cultural Foundation (BLCF) Bangla School. It has two branches in Singapore. Only recently, on 23rd February, The Daily Star covered the news of their observance of the Language Day (i.e. 21st February).

How else can one make her life worthy? Congratulations to 'Singing Florence Nightingale', Milia Islam Sabed, you make us all so proud!

The author is an academic, Nazrul exponent and writer.