A physician and a journalist have won this year’s Bangla Academy literature award in fiction and poetry categories.
Dr Zakir has won the award for fiction and journalist Shihab Sarkar in poetry. Another journalist, Khaled Bin Joynuddin has won the award in juvenile literature category.
Dr Shamsuzzaman Khan, director general of Bangla Academy, declared the names of the winners at a press conference held on the academy premises yesterday.
The awards for 2014 will be given to seven people for their outstanding contributions under ten categories, which were announced yesterday ahead of the month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
The prime minister will distribute the prizes among the winners on February 1 at the fair.
Shantonu Kaisar, former professor at Comilla University, has won the award in the essay category, Bhuiyan Iqbal, former professor at Chittagong University, has won the award in research category, Abu Mohammad Delowar Hossain, professor of history at Dhaka University, has won in the category of literature on Liberation War affairs, and Moinul Sultan in autobiography/memoir/travel story.
The executive working committee of the academy selected the winners based on the decision of the jury board.
However, the academy could not consider anyone in the drama, translation and science-technology and environment categories.
Each of the winners will receive a cash of Tk1 lakh, a certificate, and a crest from the prime minister at the launching ceremony of the largest book fair in the country.
Every year, the academy announces the award during the fair – usually around February 22-26. But this year, names of the award winners have been announced beforehand.
Dr Shamsuzzaman said this was done because the winners will be rewarded prizes by the prime minister on the first day of the fair, to make it an inspirational experience for them.
