Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today handed over the prestigious Bangla Academy Shahitya Puroshkar to 11 personalities in recognition of their contributions to their respective fields.

The recipients are Altaf Hossain (poetry), Shaheen Akhtar (fiction), Abul Momen and Dr Atiur Rahman (jointly for essay), Moniruzzaman (research), Abdus Selim (translation), Tajul Mohammad (literature on Liberation War), Faruk Chowdhury (biography and travelogue), Masum Reza (drama), Sharif Khan (science, technology and environment) and Sujan Barua (juvenile literature).

The prime minister gave the awards at the inaugural function of the month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair on the Bangla Academy premises.

Bangla Academy Chairman and Professor Emeritus at Dhaka University Dr Anisuzzaman chaired the inaugural session. Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan delivered the welcome speech.