Staff Correspondent

Eminent educationist Professor Emeritus Arun Kumar Basak, novelist Anwara Syed Haq and art maestro Prof Mohammad Eunus were honoured with the Geetanjali Sammanana Padak (Geetanjali Honorary Award) 2022 on Friday, for their significant contributions in their respective field.

The awards were conferred at the 18th anniversary celebration of Geetanjali Lalitkala Academy, a traditional culture training centre, which is hosting a two-day cultural festival on October 28 and 29 at Small and Cottage Industries Training Institute (SCITI) auditorium, Uttara in the capital.

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam joined the event and handed over the awards to the three prolific recipients as the chief guest.

Uttara Club President Feroz Alam and entrepreneur Shahidul Alam Bidyut also joined the inaugural day event, presided over by eminent educationist and former DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique. Geetanjali Lalitkala Academy Founding Director Mahbub Amin Mithu delivered the welcome remarks.

The event also featured enthralling cultural performances including songs, dances, and recitations, presented by the Geetanjali Academy of Fine Arts performers.

On Saturday, the closing day of the festival will be joined by Asim Kumar Ukil, Cultural Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League and Member of Parliament from Netrokona-3 Constituency as the chief guest in the discussion seminar, in remembrance of late National Professor Rafiqul Islam, former Adviser of Geetanjali Lalitkala Academy.

Industrialist and Bangladesh Awami League's Secretary of Industry and Commerce Md Siddiqur Rahman and BGMEA Board of Directors member Haroon Ar Rashid, Managing Director of TRZ Group, will join the ceremony as its special guest. The event will be presided over by eminent artist Hashem Khan.

In the last 17 years of its glorious journey, the Geetanjali Sammanana Padak was awarded to several eminent personalities including National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, Professor Dr Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, poet Professor Alauddin Al Azan, writer and poet Syed Shamsul Haq, National Professor Mustafa Nurul Islam, Tagore researcher Ahmad Rafiq, Language Soldier Abdul Matin, educationist Dr Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, National Professor Rafiqul Islam, National Professor Anisuzzaman, musician Sudhin Das, cultural personality Kamal Lohani, painter Hashem Khan.

Besides, litterateur Hasan Azizul Haque, painter Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, writer Rabeya Khatun, cultural personality Ramendu Majumdar, poet Asad Chowdhury, rt maestro Rafiqunnabi, playwright Begum Mamtaz Hossain, novelist Selina Hossain, social and cultural personality Sultana Kamal, artist Mustafa Monwar, filmmaker Subhash Dutta, playwright Imdadul Haq Milan, Artist Murtaza Bashir, poet Nirmalendu Goon, cultural personality Mofidul Haque, poet Nurul Huda, painter Monirul Islam, actress Ferdousi Majumdar, thespian Asaduzzaman Noor, cultural personality Nasir Uddin Yusuff, poet Kamal Chowdhury, thespian Ataur Rahman, researcher Muntasir Mamoon, and art maestro Farida Zaman were the other recipients .

Founded in 2004, this academy is the biggest and oldest cultural school in Uttara and it has been traditionally conferring eminent and influential personalities with this award since the very beginning of its journey.