Sadat Hossain, Amin Al Rashid, Chanakya Barai win IFIC Bank Kali O Kalam ‘Torun Kobi O Lekhok’ Award 2021

IFIC Bank and Kali O Kolom jointly hosted the annual 'Torun Kobi O Lekhok' Awards at 7 pm on Saturday, February 26, in an online telecast. The ceremony was aired simultaneously from IFIC and Kali O Kalam's Facebook pages.

Viewers saw a documentary of last year's 'Torun Kobi O Lekhok' Awards. Eminent essayist, French linguist, and translator Professor Chinmoy Guha spoke as a guest. "The light of literature inspires us when the world is shrouded in ignorance, in gray", Professor Guha said. 

"Thanks to Kali and Kalam", he added, "for encouraging literature in both Bengals for 19 years. The literary work of the established writers as well as the youth and the initiative to present it in this way is truly commendable." 

On behalf of the judging panel, fiction writer Imdadul Haq Milon announced Sadat Hossain as the award winner  in the fiction category for his work Biva O Bivrom; Amin Al Rashid in the research category for his collection of essays, Jibonanonder Manchitro; and in the poetry category, Chanakya Barai, for his Sundarban Series collection.

Shafi Mandal performs at the award function.

Shah A Sarwar, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of IFIC Bank, said, "Newcomers build the cultural foundation of any country with their new vision. I hope they will continue their literary pursuits. I believe that one day the name of this country will spread in the international literature through their hands".

Syed Manzoorul Islam, writer, academic, and President of the Editorial Board of Kali O Kalam, also spoke at the ceremony, saying, "We have noticed that young people are practicing literature in a new way, in a new style, which inspires us. My only wish to the winning poets and writers is that you will always give priority to the heritage and culture of Bangla in your creative work. Let us never forget our foundation".

In the concluding session, Baul artist and musician Shafi Mandal performed music and graced the occasion with four much loved Baul songs.