Dhaka: The sixth edition of Bengal Classical Music Festival concluded here early Sunday with the serene flute recital of Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

He performed Raga Lalitha and folk tune and bhajan, much to the delight of the city's packed Abahani grounds.

The fifth and final night of the festival consisted of performances by Vidushi Sujata Mohapatra (Odissi dance), Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Mohan Veena), Brajeswar Mukherjee (Khayal), Pandit Kushal Das/Kalyanjit Das (Sitar duet) and Pandit Kaivalya Kumar (Khayal.)

During the closing ceremony, Professor Emeritus Dr Anisuzzaman said that it is a matter of pride that every year the classical music festival is reaching a new height, adding new pages in the history of reviving the heritage of classical music in Bangladesh under the patronage of Bengal Foundation.

BRAC chairperson Sir FazleHasan Abed praised the organisers for arranging this mega event despite such uncertainty and various obstacles arising from time to time.

President of Chhayanaut Dr Sanjida Khatun stressed the importance of traditional festivals and arranging such festivals all over the country.

Aminah Ahmed, on behalf of her son, Kazi Nabil Ahmed, the Vice President of Abahani Limited, expressed optimism that the festival will be arranged in this field next year, too.

Bengal Foundation Chairman Abul Khair expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the permission to arrange this event.

The festival also had other attractions for the attendees, including a pictorial exhibition, featuring the lives of legendary music exponent of Bangladesh, another exhibition featuring works of Bengal Institute of Architecture, Landscape & Settlement, a food court and various stalls of Bengal Foundation, BRAC Bank and Square Group.

Square Group was the title sponsor of the festival, with BRAC Bank being as an associate partner.

Channel i was the broadcast partner, while ICE Business Times was the media partner.

For the last five years, the Bengal Classical Music Festival has been the largest classical music event in the subcontinent showcasing performances from over 200 classically trained singers and dancers.

This year's event was dedicated to eminent educationist, researcher and cultural exponent Professor Emeritus Dr. Anisuzzaman.