A five-day long “Bangabandhu Jatiya Abritti Uthshob'” will take place to mark the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Independence.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the festival virtually from Ganabhaban on January 27.
The announcement of the festival was made at a press conference, organized by the Bangladesh Abritti Somonnoy Parishad, on Thursday.
Besides, “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Jatiya Abritti Podok” will be awarded every year from now on.
For the first time, the award goes to Golam Mustafa (posthumous) for 2020, Ashraful Alam and Syed Hasan Imam for 2021 and Bhaswar Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta Chattopadhyay and Kazi Medina for 2022.
Ahkam Ullah, general secretary of the parishad, said in a written statement: “Honorary mementos will be given to 50 talented reciters, including five institutions.”
In all, 4,500 recitation artistes from around 300 organizations across the country are participating in the festival.
The inaugural function is scheduled to be held at Shilpakala Academy's National Theatre Auditorium.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Cultural Affairs State Minister KM Khalid will be present while representatives of district level recitation organizations will participate online from Deputy Commissioners’ offices.
The festival will be held in 64 districts simultaneously with the participation of local organizations every day from 4pm till January 31.
The recitation organizations of Dhaka metropolis will perform in the inaugural program at the National Theatre.
Ahkam Ullah said that all the auditoriums in the country were closed which was why the reciters could not read the poems written about the Liberation War and Bangabandhu.
"The present government has recognized recitation as an art which will enrich the recitation industry," he added.