The 10th edition of Dhaka Lit Fest officially kicked off Thursday morning after a suspension of three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, and Indian writer and literary critic Amitav Ghosh inaugurated the event at Bangla Academy's Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium.

DLF Directors Kazi Anis Ahmed, Ahsan Akbar, and Sadaf Saaz Siddiqi were also present at the program.

At the opening ceremony, Nobel laureate writer Abdulrazak Gurnah said: “I have come to Bangladesh for the first time. I hope to see something that I have never seen in my life through this event.”

Indian writer Amitav Ghosh said: “I feel honored to come to such an event. I am a Bangladeshi in a way. My mother is from Gopalganj and my father is from Bikrampur. I grew up in Bangladesh. I always talk about Bangladesh. Bangladesh's language is very beautiful. 

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said the Ministry of Cultural Affairs was associated with this event. 

“I wish the event becomes successful,” he said. 

Earlier in the morning, the proceedings began with a performance of spiritual songs at the Bangla Academy lawn.

The country's biggest event on world literature and culture began with participation of around 500 writers, poets, performers, intellectuals, journalists and internationally acclaimed prize-winning speakers in over 170 sessions of the four-day event.

The ninth DLF was held in November 2019.

BDST: 1528 HRS, JAN 05, 2023
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