The 18th National Poetry Festival marking the Amar Ekushey February (immortal February 21) began on the Dhaka University campus yesterday with slogan. "May poetry emerge victorious in the light of mother tongue."
Renowned poet Shamsur Rahman'Mnaufeurated the two-day festival as thief guest at the Hakim Chaitar pear the Unf^" versily Ce\LraVLibraryat'lO am. Organised bVjaUyS Kabila Parishad. the inaugural function was chaired by the its president poet Belal Cnowdhury.
Water resources minister Abdur Razzak. youth, sports and cultural affairs minister Obaidu) Quader and H B M Iqbal MP were present as special guests on the occasion.
Renowned poets of West Bengal Sunil Gangapadhaya. Samaresh Sen Gupta. Joydev Basu. Sebonti Ghose. Ratuf Dev
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Hannan and Stephen Muldoon of Ireland also attended the function.
Shamsur Rahman urged the countrymen to stand against conspiracy of the religious fanatics who are creating anarchy in the country by destroying the peaceful democratic atmosphere.
"The aim of the first poetry festival was to rise against the autocracy and remove the autocratic ruler from power. We've won against the autocracy but against the communal elements and religious radicals victory is yet to be achieved.”
President of Jatiya Kabita Parishad Belal Chowdhury termed the festival a “unique” one in the world and urged all to uplift the spirit of Ekushey February through organising various programmes on the occasion of Ekushey February.
The festival began with hoisting of national flag and rendering song specially composed for the occasion.
Later, the poets in a procession marched toward tne central Shaheed -Minar to place wreaths paying homage to the martyrs of the Language Movement. They also placed wreaths at the mazar of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and artist Quamrul Hasan.
Apart from the local ones, a good number of poets from India. Nepal and Ireland recited self-composed poems on the first day of the festival.
Two seminars will be held today, the second day of the festival. Dr Khandakar Ashraf Hossain of English department of Dhaka University will place a keynote paper on “Poet. Mother Language and Internationalisation” while poet • aj-jad Kadir on “ Poet and lr..or-mation Technology". Two sessions for poetry recitation will be in the afternoon today.
Meanwhile, a week-long National Wayside Drama Festival began at the central Shaheed Minar yesterday to celebrate the international recognition to Ekushey February as International Mother Language Day. State Minister for Information Prof. Abu Sayeed inaugurated the festival at 4:30 pm.
Three dramas — Referee. Aro Ekti Juddha (one more war) and Park — were staged on the first day of the festival, organised by Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation.
A total of 32 theatre groups from across the country will perform during the festival.
A discussion meeting was also held as part of the festival with chairperson of the Federation Sara Zaker in the chair.