Researcher Anwarul Haque and veteran singer Shabnam Mushtari have been named as this year’s recipients of the prestigious Nazrul Award, presented by Bangla Academy. The announcement came through a press release issued by the academy on Saturday afternoon.
They are being honoured for their contributions to the study, performance, and promotion of the works of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The awards will be handed over at a special programme marking Nazrul Jayanti on Sunday at the Bangla Academy premises in the capital.
Each of the awardees will receive a crest, an uttorio, and a cash prize of Tk 1 lakh.
Professor Anwarul Haque, born on January 19, 1952, in Mogholtuli of Cumilla, is a noted researcher and writer. A former student of literature at the University of Chittagong, he later taught at Cumilla Victoria Government College, retiring in 2010.
Throughout his career, Professor Haque focused his research on the life and works of Kazi Nazrul Islam. His significant publications include Nazrul O Taar Bairipokkho, Nazrul Parikrama, and Nazrul Nargis Promila Nobomulyayon. Besides academic research, he also made his mark in fiction writing.
On the other hand, Shabnam Mushtari, a leading name in Nazrul Sangeet, began her career in the early 1960s. She became a popular face on television in its early years and released several albums featuring Nazrul’s timeless songs. Coming from a cultural family, her father Talim Hossain was a well-known poet, while her mother, Begum Mafruha Chowdhury, was a journalist and fiction writer. Her sisters Yasmin Mushtari and Parveen Mushtari are also respected Nazrul Sangeet artistes.
The Nazrul Award recognises lifelong dedication to preserving and promoting the legacy of Kazi Nazrul Islam.
