The 22nd death anniversary of poet Begum Sufia Kamal was observed on Saturday with various programmes including milad mahfil, placing of wreaths at her grave and discussion.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages paying profound respects to the memory of the poet.
They prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul of Sufia Kamal terming her a pioneer of democratic, socio-cultural and women's empowerment movement.
Read more: Int’l Film Festival of India (IFFI) begins
In a message, the President said Poet Sufia Kamal will be alive among the countrymen through her literary talent and amazing works. “Her ideals and literary works will inspire the new generation deeply to build an exploitation-free and non-communal society,” the head of the state said.
He said Poet Sufia Kamal was a pioneer of the women's movement and a fearless fighter against sectarianism and bigotry. She has struggled all her life to free women from the shackles of ignorance and superstition, the President added.
Abdul Hamid said she was active in every movement of democracy and human rights, including the great language movement, the War of Independence and the War of Liberation.
She was one of the initiators of the movement for the trial of crimes against humanity committed by the anti-Liberation forces during the war of liberation, the President added. -BSS