With the theme “Kobita Shohey Na Danob Jatona", Jatiya Kabita Parishad has organised the 28th Jatiya Kabita Utshab at the premises of Central Library of Dhaka University. The poetry festival was inaugurated yesterday and ends today.

Eminent poet Syed Shamsul Haq inaugurated the festival as chief guest. He said, “This is one of the largest gatherings of poets in the sub-continent. Bengalispeaking poets from different parts of India have also taken part at the festival. I feel that the poets must become more and more comprehensive and more allusive."

About the festival, Indian poet Ashish Sanyal said, "I feel that the festival could work as a cultural link between poets of India and Bangladesh."

Swedish poet Kristian Carlsson said, "It is my first visit in the city, so I am excited by everything. I feel that poetry has no given place in society. But it is essential to the survival of language. It is a matter of working for the good of language, and then language works for

the good of society."

Indian poet Dilip Das said, "The poets of Bangladesh are very friendly and proud of their heritage and independence. I have been introduced to many poets and academics here."

Bangladeshi poet Asad Chowdhury said, "The gathering provides an opportunity for rethinking and re-examination."

Poet Habibullah Shirazi, president of the Jatiya Kabita Parishad, presided over the programme.

Poets Nirmelendu Goon, Rafiq Azad, Rabiul Husain, Belal Chowdhury, Aslam Sani, Mohammad Nurul Huda, Asim Saha, Mohammad Samad, Tarik Sujat, Kazi Rosy, Abed Khan, Rafiqullah Khan, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, Shahriar Kabir, Kajal Bandopaddhay and others attended the festival.

This year, a large number of local and foreign poets recited their poems at the festival. Foreign poets from India, Norway, Sweden and Austria have taken part at the festival. Among them, noted poets from India are Ashish Sanyal, Uttam Das, Shyamal Kanti Das, Shankar Chakrabarty, Dilip Das, Akbar Ahmed, Anubhab Tulsi, Samir Tati and others.

Swedish poet Kristian Carlsson, Norwegian poet John Y. Jones; Austrian poet Dorothea Muller-Ott; and Swidish poets Anre Ruth, Haideh Daragahi, among others, have participated in this year's festival.

The two-day festival comprises recitation sessions, poets' reciting their poems, seminars and presentations of songs.