Mitali kept the packed audience at India International Centre spellbound for over 90 minutes on Monday with her hit numbers in both Bangla and Hindi.

Starting with the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra song of “Purbo Digante, Surjo Uthese Rakta Lal, Rakta Lal” Mitali’s melodious voice took the audience to a wonderful journey from the 1971 War of Liberation days to her time in Mumbai where she excelled in Hindi Gazals along with her husband Bhupinder Singh.

As she rendered her modern popular hits like “Je tuko somoy tumi kachhe thako...” or “Ei Duniya ekhon tu ar sei duniya nai,” the audience across all ages burst into exuberance, many of them singing along with her.

In introducing the Mumbai-based singer Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali recalled how Mitali, as a teenager, fled her home in Mymensingh to escape the Pakistani military atrocities in 1971 and joined Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, the war time musical troupe in India.

He said Bangladesh is proud of her, according to Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.

The High Commissioner along with his wife Tuhfa Zaman Ali felicitated Mitali and her musical hands.

Syed Muazzem Ali also felicitated several Indian veterans of 1971 War of Liberation saying the people of Bangladesh feel indebted to the heroes. Gen Deepak Kapoor, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma, Col (retd.) Ashok Tara and Maj (retd) Chandrakant were among them.

Foreign diplomats, Indian elite, journalists, music lovers were among the audience.