Bangla Academy has excluded three writers—Mohammad Hannan, Faruq Nawaz, and Selim Morshed—from its Bangla Academy Literary Award 2024 list, a decision disclosed on Wednesday (29 January) via the institution’s verified Facebook page.
The initial list of awardees was announced on 23 January, only to be suspended two days later.
At the time, Bangla Academy stated that the decision was made in light of “certain allegations” against some of the named recipients.
The academy had pledged to reconsider and publish a revised list within three working days.
Tuesday marked the end of the three-day review period, yet it was not until Wednesday night that the exclusion of Hannan, Nawaz, and Morshed was officially announced.
Hannan was originally nominated for his contributions to Liberation War literature, while Nawaz was selected for children's literature.
Meanwhile, Selim Morshed, a fiction writer, had already rejected the award on 27 January after the initial suspension of the recipients’ list. He was nominated in the fiction category.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, the revised and finalised list of awardees for Bangla Academy Literary Award 2024 is as follows:
- Masud Khan (Poetry)
- Shubhashis Sinha (Drama & Playwriting)
- Salimullah Khan (Essay & Prose)
- GH Habib (Translation)
- Muhammad Shahjahan Mia (Research)
- Rezaur Rahman (Science)
- Syed Jamil Ahmed (Folklore)
The suspension and subsequent revision of the award list have fuelled widespread debate.
On 25 January, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki posted on Facebook that the Bangla Academy Literary Award Committee had discussed the need to reconsider the awards due to the prevailing socio-political climate and allegations raised against some recipients.
He further stated that an investigation into the allegations had also been decided upon.
Farooki remarked, “The bizarre policies that enable such absurd and clique-driven awards must be reviewed urgently.”
On 26 January, during a press briefing at the Secretariat, Bangla Academy Director General Muhammad Azam affirmed that if any nominee was found to have direct ties to genocide or anti-public politics, their award would be rescinded.
The turmoil surrounding the awards also led to resignations within Bangla Academy.
On Wednesday, Morshed Shafiul Hasan, a member of the awards board, announced his withdrawal from all award-related responsibilities, calling the suspension and subsequent review process “embarrassing” for those involved.
He clarified that while it was not a resignation, he had formally communicated his decision not to participate in the reconsideration process.
Hasan, a fellow of Bangla Academy, further confirmed his departure in a social media post.
Additionally, on 29 January, poet Sajjad Sharif resigned from Bangla Academy’s executive committee, submitting his resignation letter to the director general.
Speaking to this reporter, he stated, “Given the dishonour that Bangla Academy and its positions have suffered, it is no longer ethically viable for me to continue in my role.”
The unfolding controversy raises serious concerns about the integrity and governance of Bangladesh’s premier literary institution.
