The Bangla Academy is the centre of all things literary in Bangladesh, and this week in the academy’s Poet Shamsur Rahman Auditorium, Director General Habibullah Siraji announced the names of the winners of the Bangla Academy Sahitya Puroshkar (Literay Awards).

The winners are:

  • Home Minister Rafiqul Islam (Literature on Liberation War)
  • Makid Haider (Poetry)
  • Wasi Ahmed (Literature)
  • Swarochish Sarkar (Essay/Research)
  • Khairul Alam Sabuj (Translation)
  • Rahim Shah (Children’s Literature)
  • Ratan Siddiqui (Drama)
  • Nadira Majumder (Science Fiction)
  • Faruk Moinuddin (Autobiography/Travelogue)
  • Simon Zakaria (Folklore)

The Bangla Academy Sahitya Puroshkar, now in its sixtieth year, is given in recognition of,

creative genius in advancement and overall contribution to the field of Bengali language and literature.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a noted lover of literature –

– will present the awards at the opening ceremony of the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela, the country’s biggest book fair, and one of the world’s longest, lasting the entire length of February.

Via The Independent (Bangladesh).

The Boi Mela has recently been breaking attendance and book sales record, with just shy of $10 million worth of books sold at the event in 2019.