The Jatiya Kabita Utsab (national poetry festival)-2006 began in the capital amid festivity and enthusiasm yesterday with a call to raise voice against religious extremism.

The slogan of this year's festival is 'Poetry against militancy'. This year marked 20 years of the festival.

Poet Shamsur Rahman inaugurated the three-day festival at the Dhaka University Central Library Chattar by hoisting the national flag and the flag of Jatiya Kabita Parishad, the organiser of the event.

Poet Mostafa Majid read out an obituary reference at the inaugural ceremony.

The Kabita Parishad also placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar and at the graveyards of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and artist Quamrul Hasan on the DU campus.

The programmes of the festival include poetry recitation, discussion, exhibition, book fair and blood donation programme.

A number of poets from West Bengal, India, are taking part in the ceremony. They are Sunil Gangopadhyay, Utpal Kumar Basu, Rana Chattopadhyay, Kartik Modak, Bithi Chattopadhyay, Tripti Santra, Swapna Gangopadhyay, Rita Das, Chitra Lahiri, Dipak Lahiri, Amitabh Chakrabarty and Nripen Chakrabarty.

Inaugurating the festival, Shamsur Rahman said, "The situation (militancy) which we are facing now and where we are heading will not bring any good to us."

Poet M Samad read out the written speech of poet Shamsur Rahman.

Poet Tarique Sujat, publicity secretary of the Kabita Parishad, read out the declaration of the festival. The declaration called for rooting out the militancy forever and urged all peace-loving poets to raise their voice against militancy.

Talking to reporters, poet Sunil Gangopadhyay said militant activities in Bangladesh are claiming the lives of innocent people. Even the suicide bombers don't know why they are killing themselves, he added.

Only protesting the militancy is not enough, he said, adding that its root has to be found out.