Singer Moni Kishore laid to eternal rest

Moni Kishore, an esteemed singer from the 1990s who was found dead last Saturday at his home in Dhaka's Rampura, was laid to eternal rest on Thursday night.

Even though his body was discovered by police last Saturday, the burial was put on a halt due to a family dispute over the arrangements. Rampura police suspected an unnatural death.

Moni Kishore converted to Islam when he married Shamima Islam; however, the couple later got divorced and he lived alone in his Rampura house till death.

Due to conversion, it was expected that he would receive a Muslim burial, as stated by his elder brother Ashok Kumar Mondol. Permission for the burial was given by Moni Kishore's daughter Ninty Chowdhury, currently residing in the United States, according to lyricist Milton Khondokar.

It was expected that the singer's daughter would come to the country, but due to her ongoing exams, she was unable to travel, Milton Khondokar shared with the media.

After the prayer service at the Baitul Jannat Jame Mosque in South Banasree, he was buried in the nearby graveyard on Thursday night.

Born on January 9, 1961, in Narail district's Lakshmipur upazila to police officer Anil Kumar Mondol, Moni Kishore was given the name Arun Kumar Mondol. He later changed his name to Moni Kishore, as a tribute to his favourite artist Kishore Kumar.

He garnered popularity among the audiences for his songs including "Ki Chile Amar," "Ami More Gele Jani Tumi," "Tumi Shudhu Amar Jonno," "Mukhe Bolo Bhalobashi," and "Shei Duti Chokh Kothay Tomar," to name a few.

Once a popular artist, Moni Kishore did not make frequent appearances on radio or television and kept his life private, away from the spotlight.

Aside from recording over 500 songs and several hit playbacks for Dhallywood films, Moni Kishore released more than 30 albums in his lifetime.