Home
+
Published : 02 Mar 2026, 02:54 PM
Poet Mohon Raihan has not attended the ceremony to receive the Bangla Academy Literary Award, saying he had not received any “formal invitation or letter” from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
The ministry had announced in a statement on Saturday that the award would be presented to him at 11am on Monday.
However, Raihan told bdnews24.com that without an official communication from the ministry, he would not attend the ceremony.
“I said at the press conference that the award should be presented in a dignified process by the prime minister. But I have not received any formal invitation or letter from the ministry. That is why I did not go,” he said.
On Sunday, Raihan had said he would accept the award “in the greater interest of protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty” and in respect of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s decision to reinstate it.
The award had earlier been withheld at the ceremony following objections over one of his decades-old poems, sparking criticism in cultural circles and on social media.
The ministry later said the decision to confer the award had been reinstated after reviewing the complaints.
According to the ministry’s statement, an emergency meeting was held on Feb 27 to examine the allegations. After review and with the prime minister’s consent, it was decided that Raihan would receive the 2026 Bangla Academy Literary Award.
Sources at Bangla Academy said preparations, including banners, had been completed for Monday’s ceremony.
Raihan, however, said he learned about the award presentation through the press release and not through any formal communication.
“If I do not receive a formal invitation or letter, I will not go,” he said.
He also reiterated his wish to receive the award from the prime minister, recalling past instances where honours were presented directly by the head of government amid controversy.
Raihan’s absence has prolonged the debate surrounding the award, which has drawn widespread attention since it was first announced and subsequently withheld before being reinstated.
