Observing the 92nd birth anniversary of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, cultural organisations arranged several events on Monday, shedding spotlight on her eventful life and contributions towards the nation. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs and several cultural organizations namely Bangla Academy, Bangladesh National Museum, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and others organized seminars and cultural programmes, marking the occasion. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid paid tribute by placing wreaths at Bangamata's mausoleum at Banani Graveyard in the capital in the morning, on behalf of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Bangla Academy organised a special seminar and book launching event in the afternoon at its AKSB auditorium. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid joined the event as the chief guest, and the event was presided over by Bangla Academy President Selina Hossain. At the event, the academy’s newest publication titled ‘Bangajatimata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib: 92 tomo Jonmobarshikir Shroddha’ (Mother of the Nation Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib: Tribute to the 92nd Birth Anniversary) was launched by the chief guest. Read: Bangamata’s 92nd birth anniversary on Monday Poet Asad Mannan and Deputy Director of the Department of Culture in Bangla Academy poet Saymon Zakaria discussed on two other books written on the life and works of Bangamata titled ‘Chhotoder Bangamata’ (Bangamata for Children) and ‘Amar Renu’ (My Renu), written by Anwara Syed Haq. The state minister later spoke as the chief guest in the evening at the commemorative lecture titled 'Mijib theke Jatir Pita: Bangamatar Obodan’ (From Mujib to the Father of the Nation: Contribution of Bangamata), organized by Bangladesh National Museum at its Poet Sufia Kamal Auditorium of the Bangladesh National Museum in the capital. Chaired by the Chairman of the museum council Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, the event was also joined by Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur as the special guest, while  Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum Curator Nazrul Islam Khan joined as the keynote speaker. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) organized a commemorative cultural event titled ‘Shilper Aloy Shroddhanjali: Uthsarga Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib’ at its Music and Dance auditorium in the evening.  Eminent novelist and Bangla Academy President Selina Hossain joined the event as the main discussant, and the event was chaired by BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky.  The event also featured cultural performances including poetry and dance recitals, instrumental tributes and musical; performances by several noted artists, pouring befitting tribute to the occasion.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy announced the names of 20 recipients for its prestigious Shilpakala Padak 2019 and 2020 Saturday. Eighteen cultural luminaries and two cultural organisations will receive the award, said the academy. The award has been conferred to creative personalities for their continuous contributions to arts, culture, entertainment and literature since 2013. However, the award was not conferred in 2019 and the ceremony could not take place in 2020 due to the ongoing global pandemic. Also read: Names of Shilpakala Padak 2018 recipients announced The recipients of the 2019 award are Mohammad Moniruzzaman (instrumental – flute), Lubna Marium (dance), Hasina Momtaz (vocal), Abdul Mannan (fine arts), Masud Ali Khan (dramatics), M A Taher (photography), Shamvu Acharaya (folklore), Hasan Arif (recitation), Anupam Hayat (film) and cultural institution Chhayanaut (creative cultural unit). For 2020, the selected cultural personalities are Shamsur Rahman (instrumental – shehnai), Shibli Mohammad (dance), Mahmudur Rahman Benu (vocal), Shahid Kabir (fine arts), Malay Bhowmick (dramatics), Shafiqul Islam Swapan (photography), Shah Alam Sarkar (folklore), Dahlia Ahmed (recitation), Shameem Akhtar (film) and Dinajpur Nattya Samity (creative cultural unit). The awards will be handed over to the recipients at a ceremony later at the academy in the capital's Segunbagicha. Each recipient will get a gold medal, a cheque of Tk1 lakh, and a certificate.