With the numbers of Bangladeshi satellite TV channels growing in the last decade, TV news has become one of the most watched programmes. News presenters also enjoy this popularity and many among them are considered stars now. Dima Nefertiti, news presenter on ATN Bangla, has become a familiar face to the TV audience through her powerful oratory, diction and sensible presentation of news. With bachelors and masters degrees in Journalism from Dhaka University, Dima understands her job from a journalistic standpoint, which makes her presentation more acceptable to the audience. While news presenting is her profession, recitation remains her passion. Her identity as a reciter was unbeknown to many until recently. With three albums featuring recitation by her, Nefertiti recently spoke to The Daily Star on the performing art form.

"The fascination with recitation grew in me since childhood; most of my family members are keen on this particular art form. My father, in particular, encouraged me a lot to read and recite poetry. At an early age, I had learnt many poems by Tagore, Nazrul and other renowned poets, at times without even fully understanding them. When 1 was five, I participated at a poetry recitation competition for the first time in my life and won the first prize. I received my award from poet Sufia Kamal. Recitation has been an inseparable part of my life since then," says Nefertiti.

Nefertiti has been a member of different organisation of reciters such as Kathasheelan and Swarkalpan throughout her university life and took part in many cultural programmes. She also received tutelage from eminent recitation artiste Noren Biswas.

"If I call news presenting my profession, recitation is my obsession. However, I never find these two conflicting, rather recitation complements my profession. Recitation helps one to pursue other performing art forms like acting or even singing. News presentation needs a combination of the art of recitation, acting and understanding of the topic you are speaking on. So it has been easy for me to continue these two together," she says.

Nefertiti had her first album of recitation, titled "Aranya O Megher Kachhey," released in 2005. Her second solo album, titled "Shudhu Ekbar Tomakey Chho(n)bo" was released in 2007. This year, her first duet album - with noted reciter Kazi Arif - has been released recently. In the album, "Brishti Chinhito Bhalobasha, two reciters representing two generations came together to breathe life into romantic poetry. Poet-playwright-litterateur Syed Shamsul Haq and poet Ninnalendu Gunn unveiled the album. The album features poems by Rabindranath Tagore, Buddhadev Basu, Jibanananda Das, Shahid Kadri, Shamsur Rahman. Syed Shamsul Haq, Mahadev Saha, Tokon Thakur, Joy Goswami, Sunil Gangopadhyay and others.

"I've received a warm response for the album. Each of the poems in it has its own individual appeal. We've tried to bring something new and fresh in presentation too. I hope the audience will like it," says the artiste.