A day-long baul festival commemorating renowned mystic singer and song composer Ukil Munshi was held at the Adorsanagar Shahid Smriti College of Mohanganj upazila in Netrakona yesterday.
Planning Minister MA Mannan inaugurated the festival while Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar, and MP Rebeka Mumin, attended the function.
The programme was presided over by Sazzadul Hassan, senior secretary of the prime minister’s office.
“Ukil Munshi can’t be created with money, creative persons like them come once in a lifetime,” Mustafa Jabbar said at the event in his speech.
“To reach their level of creativity, it is important to understand and be close to nature, see the open sky,” he added.
Vice chancellor of Netrakona Sheikh Hasina University, Dr Rafiqullah Khan, prominent writer professor Jatin Sarker, and commissioner of Mymensing division, Mahmud Hasan, are among others, expected to attend the festival.
Many government officials, including Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Mohanganj upazila and the District Commissioner were present on the occasion as special guests.
Abdul Hazi Akand was born in 1918. He wrote more than 1000 songs and was known as Ukil Munshi in the music world. Ukil Munshi died on August 6, 1978.