Pabna, Feb 22, (V7N) – A two-day poetry festival has begun in Chatmohor, Pabna, with the theme "Let Poetry Bring Freedom to the Heart," aimed at spreading Bengali poetry among the grassroots people.

The festival was inaugurated on Friday, February 21, at 11:00 AM at Kanchantala in the shaded house of Ekante, Kumargara village, Chatmohor. Renowned poet, author, and playwright Dr. Bhashwar Bandopadhyay officially opened the event. The welcoming speech was given by Abdur Rashid, the Executive Director of Ekante.

The event began with the rendition of songs related to the Language Movement of February 21. Following this, poets from various districts, including Dhaka, Chittagong, and Rajshahi, recited poems, many of which reflected the essence of the Language Movement. Later, the exhibition of solo artworks by journalist and music artist Masud Rana was inaugurated, and the guests toured the exhibition.

The festival featured poetry recitations by prominent figures such as Dr. Bhashwar Bandopadhyay, former Cultural Secretary Akhtari Momtaz, BSS News Editor Mahfuza Jesmin, Professor Monowar Hossain Shaheen, members from the Kotha Kobita Abritti Charcha Kendra, Engineer Uttam Kumar Das, Ashraful Hasan Babu, Enamul Haque Babu, Rishi, Pragya, Kazi Bushra Ahmed Tithi, Manjuara Rashid, Rakibur Rahman Tukun, Syed Shahidul Islam Naju, Titas Rosario, Chitra Rosario, Rana Ahmed, Labanya Hasan, Mahfuz Hasan, student Shapla Khatun, child Rokeya, and many others.

Abdur Rashid, Executive Director of Ekante, mentioned, "In the global battle against the darkness of thoughts, consciousness, and perception, people are fighting in various ways—through songs, poems, literature, arts, and politics. Poetry is one of the key mediums of this struggle. Our goal is to connect and inspire people from various parts of the country through poetry and bring liberation to their hearts."

Festival participants expressed gratitude to the organizers and emphasized the need for such initiatives to be spread widely.

Dr. Bhashwar Bandopadhyay expressed concern over the increasing prevalence of English in the country, saying, "English medium schools are growing, and English is infiltrating everyday conversations in Bengali. This creates a jumbled environment. We hope such events will spread the love for Bengali language and culture among people in villages."

Mahfuza Jesmin from Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said, "We rarely see such events deeply connecting Bengali poetry with grassroots people. To preserve our arts and culture, we must involve everyone in such initiatives. This is a movement, and cultural preservation is now essential."

Former Cultural Secretary Akhtari Momtaz also praised the initiative, noting how the poetry recitations by local and child artists alongside those from Dhaka were moving. "Such initiatives help spread poetry among the masses," she said.

The two-day festival will continue with poetry recitations throughout the day and cultural programs in the evening, concluding on Saturday.

END/SR/SMA/