Serajul Islam Chy, five others receive BRAC Bank-Samakal Lit Award
Six individuals including professor Serajul Islam Choudhury and researcher and UNB editor-at-large Afsan Chowdhury were awarded with BRAC Bank-Samakal Literary Award for their illustrious contributions in Bangla literature.
The names of the awardees of 2019 and 2020 were announced at a programme arranged on Friday evening at the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, reports UNB.
In 2020, Afsan Chowdhury won the award for his book titled "1971 Gononirjaton - Gonohatya Kathamo, Bibaran O Porishar" (Genocide and repression : Structure and narrative ) in essay, autobiography, travel and translation category, poet Mohammad Rafiq won the award for his book titled "Pothik Poran" in poetry and novel category and Ranjana Bishwas for her book titled "Bangladesher Lokodhormo" in "Humayun Ahmed Young Writer" category.
In 2019, Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury won the award for his book titled "Dikkhagurur Totporota" in essay, autobiography, travel and translation category, poet Helal Hafiz won the award for his book titled "Bedonake Bolechi Kedo Na" in poetry and novel category, Mozaffor Hossain won for his book titled "Pathe Bishleshone Bishwagolpo: Chutogolper Shilpo O Rupantor" in "Humayun Ahmed Young Writer" category.
Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury addressed the programme as the chief guest.
More than a thousand of books were submitted for the three categories of the award for these two years. From them, three best books were selected for each year by a jury panel comprising Selina Hossain, Khalikuzzaman Elias, Biswajit Ghosh, and Abid Anwar.
Award winner writer and columnist Afsan Chowdhury said, "In our country we have written history of a few people rather than all due to our political limitations.
Bangladesh was born after a 200-year long struggle, led by a rebellious peasant society. 1971 was the moment when that struggle becomes successful and it doesn't belong to only a state or society but everyone. So we have to write everyone's history not of a few or groups."
A K Azad, MD of Times Media Limited said, "It is a matter of joy and proud for Samakal that we have been able to inspire and honour writers and literary personalities."
Selim R F Hussain, MD and CEO of Brac Bank said, "This award holds a very important position in Bangla literary world and we are honored to become a part of it."