Poet Sufia Kamal’s 18th death anniversary Monday

The 18th death anniversary of poet Sufia Kamal, founding president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and a pioneer of Bengali women’s emancipation, will be observed on Monday.
Different social and cultural organisations have chalked out various programmes to observe the day in a befitting manner, reports UNB.

Leaders and activists of Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote along with noted cultural personalities will pay tributes to the poet by placing floral wreaths at her grave at Azimpur Graveyard.

A memorial meeting to be organised by Social Protection Committee, a platform consisting of 72 social, human rights and development organisations, will be held at the auditorium of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad at 3:00pm.

Sufia Kamal was also instrumental in naming the first women’s dormitory of Dhaka University as Rokeya Hall after the name of Begum Rokeya, who was her own inspiration.

During the country’s liberation war in 1971, she worked for helping women, who were hurt during the war.

She also campaigned to bring into justice those Pakistani officials whom the Bangladeshis considered war criminals.

Born on 20 June 1911, Sufia Kamal was awarded the Bangla Academy Award for Literature (1962), Lenin Centenary Jubilee Medal (1970) from the Soviet Union, Ekushey Padak (1976), Czechoslovakia Medal (1986), Jatiya Kabita Parishad Award (1995), Begum Rokeya Medal (1996), Deshbandhu CR Das Gold Medal (1996) and Independence Award (1997) for her works.

She breathed her last on 20 November 1999.