Suspended list of Bangla Academy Literary Award under review

The list of nominees for the prestigious Bangla Academy Literary Award has been temporarily suspended for review. The Bangla Academy will revoke awards for anyone found to be directly involved in genocide or anti-people politics.

This announcement was made by Mohammad Azam, the Director General of Bangla Academy, during a press briefing held by the Ministry of Culture at the Secretariat on Sunday. 

Also present at the briefing were Cultural Affairs Advisor Mustafa Sarwar Farooki and Acting Secretary of the Ministry, Md. Mofidur Rahman.

Just days earlier, Bangla Academy had revealed the names of the recipients for the 2024 Literary Awards. 

Those honored included Masud Khan for poetry, Selim Morshed for fiction, Shubhashish Sinha for drama and theatrical literature, Salimullah Khan for essays, Faruk Nawaz for children‍‍`s literature, G.H. Habib for translation, Mohammad Shahjahan Mia for research, Rezaur Rahman for science, Mohammad Hannan for contributions to the Liberation War, and Syed Jamil Ahmed for folklore.

However, the announcement sparked debates and criticism on social media. 

Many expressed concerns about the absence of any female winners, while others questioned the past roles of some of the nominees in the previous government. 

As a result, Bangla Academy decided to suspend the awards just two days after the list was announced, further fueling discussions.

In response to the controversy, the Ministry of Culture held a press conference. 

During the conference, Mohammad Azam reassured the public that the concerns raised would be taken seriously. 

He confirmed that the list was being reviewed and that any nominee with direct ties to genocide or anti-people politics would be disqualified. 

"If any individual is found to have direct involvement in genocide or anti-people politics, especially in connection with the July uprising, their award will certainly be canceled. A committee is already working to determine the next steps," Azam explained.

When asked about the overall process, Azam admitted that there were issues. 

“First of all, this was our mistake. Secondly, historically, Bangla Academy has always rushed through the award process. It hasn’t been something that was done in just one day. These awards have been given out for decades, and this method has been shaped by that long history,” he said. 

Azam also mentioned that a reform committee would soon be formed to improve the award process at Bangla Academy.