The seventh two-day National Poetry Festival ’93 began yesterday (Monday) with participants calling for unity against the anti-liberation elements.

The festival opened at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) Square of the Dhaka University with eminent poet Begum Sufia Kamal as the chief guest.

More than two hundred poets from different parts of the country are participating in the festival.

Poet Syed Samsul Huq presided over the inaugural session of the festival yesterday morning organised by the Jatiya Kabita Purlshad (National Poetry Council).

The slogan of the festival is Joy Banglar, Joy Kabita".

Addressing the function Sufia Kamal said that we could easily root out the antl-llbcra-tion criminals If 1 I crore people of the country unite.

Shamsul Huq in his speech expressed dismay over the situation that the persons who struggled to force the government try the anti-liberation, forces have now been themselves charged with so-called He also alleged that the fundamentalists and the communal forces were rising and spreading In the Sub-eontl nent.

The function was also addressed by the festival committee convenor Majharul Islam. Samudra Gupta, Mohan Ralhan and Muhammed Samad.

The festival began with the hoisting of national and festival flags over the pandal erected for the occasion at the TSC.

Following the Inauguration the guests and the parishad members brought out a pro cession from the mazar of the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam at the Dhaka University Central Mosque premises. The procession dispersed at the Centra! Shahced Minar.

Later In the afternoon at 3 pm recitation of self-composed poem was held.

A seminar on "Spirit of Liberation: Our Poetry" will be held at 10 in the morning and a recitation programme in the afternoon today.