Celebrating the 18th anniversary of its inauguration, Geetanjali Lalitkala Academy, a traditional culture training centre, 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.

Marking the occasion, the academy is set to honour three prolific personalities with the Geetanjali Sammanana Padak (Geetanjali Honorary Award) 2022 on October 28, Friday.

The personalities are - eminent educationist Professor Emeritus Arun Kumar Basak, writer Anwara Syed Haq and painter Professor Mohammad Eunus for their important contribution to education, art, literature and culture in Bangladesh.

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam will join the event as the chief guest, while Mohammad Habib Hasan, Member of Parliament for Dhaka-18 Constituency, will join as the special guest.

The inaugural day event on Friday will be presided over by eminent educationist and former DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique.

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Artists from the Geetanjali Academy of Fine Arts will perform songs, dance, and recitations at the two-day festival.

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 will join the ceremony as its special guest, and 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, 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.