Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has announced plans to comprehensively reform the Bangla Academy.
He made the statement during a press briefing at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs conference room on Sunday.
The adviser said: "There have been irregularities in Bangla Academy’s award selection process. The institution was turned into a hub for people with specific ideologies and groups, leaving no room for new ideas."
During the briefing, Bangla Academy Director General Dr Mohammad Azam mentioned plans to form a reform committee.
He said: "December, January, and February are very busy months for Bangla Academy. We want to form a reform committee for Bangla Academy, where experts will provide advice on various reform initiatives."
Addressing the recent controversy over the Bangla Academy awards, the DG said: "After the award announcements, there was significant discussion from various quarters.
"Taking this into consideration, we have temporarily suspended the list. We will review it, and if any nominee is found involved in murder during mass uprisings, instigating violence, anti-people politics, or criminal activities, their name will be removed from the list."
Speaking about the verification process before name disclosure, the DG said: "We did not intend to make mistakes in the process, but errors occurred. We tried to maintain the entire process properly. For this reason, we have temporarily suspended the list for three working days."
He continued: "We have taken into account allegations against individuals and presented them to the review committee. The committee will consider these allegations and make a new decision. The verification process will involve intelligence agencies and individuals with legal authority to ensure a robust review."