One of her recent ventures is a music video for MTV- Tara Bangla. Every week on Fridays, music enthusiasts watch her perform on Fully Phataphati. Anchored by a Bangladeshi, Shaon, the programme has a host of singers from the country apart from Mehreen. The prominent names are Kaniz, Tishma, Akhi Alamgir and the bands Miles and Pentagon. This programme has been shot in Mumbai, India. Mehreen swears by the technical expertise and the professionalism of the MTV team. As she says, 'Mumbai is far ahead of Dhaka in terms of production facilities. However, considering that there are limited resources, little sponsorship and technical inputs in Dhaka, I would call the progress fast.'

Mehreen is also busy in other spheres. She went to Kolkata in November for a widely appreciated performance. As she says, 'The audience in Kolkota is very culturally advanced. People from this Indian city give greater appreciation to good performers.' She is now in the process of putting together an album and has just finished her DVD Mone pore tomae. In April, she is off to New York for a cultural festival organised by the Bangladesh and Indian expatriate community. Coming up in August is The Mela, a festival in Edinburgh which brings together musical talents from the sub-continent. She also has other plans: 'I am exploring the ground for new music videos both nationally and internationally.'

Asked about possible opposition to her music videos, she says she has never had to cross swords with the conservative fringe of the country. In her words: 'I respect my faith and culture. I have never crossed the socially acceptable line of decency whether in dress, lyrics or music presentation.'

The Bangla pop scene in the country, says Mehreen, dates back to the 60s with the pop legend Azam Khan. He was followed by other names such as Pilu Mumtaz, Firdous Wahid and Zinga. After a lull, when the popularity of pop music was on the wane, Mehreen hit the television screen with her hit single Anari. The year was 1999 and she calls it a 'time of retrieval for neo-pop.' She explains the success of Anari as a combination of factors such as the presentation and good teamwork by the music composer and arranger Fuad Ibne Rubbi, lyricist Dipon, herself and Tipu who was in charge of the rhythm section. Encouraged by the huge audience response, she has never looked back since then.

She gives tribute to her country for its cultural sensitivity. The exposure to the arts--be it music, dance, recitation or painting--begins in childhood in most households, she says. In her case, singing lessons began at the tender age of four with a teacher by the name of Pulin Dey. She took the cue from her elder sister Mussarrat who was learning classical and modern music. As she recalls, after her sister's teacher left she would take the harmonium and practice her singing. 'I was deeply interested in music from day one. I would follow my sister's music lessons. I was naturally talented on the harmonium.'

Her well-loved pop songs, apart from Anari, are Du Chokh, Dekha Hobe, Dhaka and Virus. Her songs, she says, are influenced by the Calypso, a South American genre of music. She encountered this music form, along with Latin American music as a young girl when her father was posted to the West Indies. Side by side with pop, she also does Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Sangeet. 'I sing Nazrul when I am depressed and I begin to feel better,' she says. She describes Rabindra Sangeet as 'a prayer'.

Among her favourites in this genre is Amar Matha Noto Kore Dao which, in her view, teaches humility.

Though her talent is well recognised both here and overseas, she feels there is still much ground to cover. She is inspired by stalwarts such as Runa Laila, Asha Bhonsle and Whitney Houston. 'If I had just 100th of their talent I would be content,' she says.