With the theme “Kobita Shohey Na Danob Jatona”, a two-day long 28th Jatiya Kabita Utshab, inaugurated on Saturday at the premises of Central Library of Dhaka University, ended yesterday.
According to sources, earlier on Sunday morning, the festival started with second part of the seminar ‘Kabita Sahena Danab Jatana’, presided over by Borhan Uddin Khan Jahangir.
The third part of the seminar ‘Kabita O Manobotar Mukti Sangram’ was held where noted authors and scholars addressed the programme.
Poetry recitation programme was participated by several poets from home and abroad.
The 9th part of the recitation was for the Europeans poets presided over by Nirmelendu Goon.
A programme titled ‘Kobitar Gan’ was held presided over by Kamal Lohan along with prize announcement ceremony, where prominent poet Mohammad Rakiq had been awarded.
Poet Habibullah Shirazi, president of the festival, presided over the programme.
Among others, Rafiq Azad, Rabiul Husain, Belal Chowdhury, Aslam Sani, Mohammad Nurul Huda, Asim Saha, Mohammad Samad, Tarik Sujat, Kazi Rosy, Abed Khan, Rafiqullah Khan, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, Shahriar Kabir and Kajal Bandopaddhay attended the function.
This year, a large number of poets recited their poems at the festival from home and abroad.
Ashish Sanyal, Uttam Das, Shyamal Kanti Das, Shankar Chakrabarty, Dilip Das, Akbar Ahmed, Anubhab Tulsi and Samir Tati were from India.
Swedish poet Kristian Carlsson, Norwegian poet John Y. Jones; Austrian poet Dorothea Muller-Ott; and Swidish poets Anre Ruth, Haideh Daragahi, among others participated in the festival.
On 1 February, 1987, Jatio Kabita Parishad was founded to organise the Jatio Kabita Utsab (National Poetry Festival) during the military regime of 1980s with the slogan “Poetry for Breaking Chains” under the leadership of eminent poets including Sufia Kamal, Shamsur Rahman and Faiz Ahmed and the vigorous initiatives of young poets of Bangladesh.
Since the debut in 1987, Jatio Kabita Parishad has been organising National Poetry Festival on 1st and 2nd February every year with slogans and themes focused on the contemporary culture and socio-political situation of the country.
The festival is now a major annual event not only in Bangladesh but also in South-Asia and is recognised as a unique reunion of poets from home and abroad.
