Some of the most gifted cultural figures in the country graced the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), as they attended the award giving ceremony for "Shilpakala Padak 2019 and 2020".

BSA awarded the Shilpakala Padak to 18 cultural luminaries and two cultural organisations, in recognition of their notable contributions to different creative arenas—such as vocal music, dance, film, instrumental music, fine arts, dramatics, recitation, folk culture, photography and creative cultural unit.

The prestigious event took place at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. President Abdul Hamid joined the event virtually as the Chief Guest.

State Minister of Cultural Affairs, K M Khalid, MP, handed over the awards, on behalf of the Chief Guest, to the recipients. Each awardee also received a cheque for BDT 1 lakh, a gold medal and a certificate.

The awardees of 2019 are Mohammad Moniruzzaman (instrumental – flute), Lubna Marium (dance), Hasina Momtaz (vocal), Abdul Mannan (fine arts), Masud Ali Khan (dramatics), M A Taher (photography), Shamvu Acharaya (folklore), Hasan Arif (recitation), Anupam Hayat (film) and cultural institution Chhayanaut (creative cultural unit).

For 2020, the selected cultural personalities are Shamsur Rahman (instrumental – shehnai), Shibli Mohammad (dance), Mahmudur Rahman Benu (vocal), Shahid Kabir (fine arts), Malay Bhowmick (dramatics), Shafiqul Islam Swapan (photography), Shah Alam Sarkar (folklore), Dahlia Ahmed (recitation), Shameem Akhtar (film) and Dinajpur Nattya Samity (creative cultural unit).

"I believe, development of art is not possible without the proper acknowledgement and appreciation of the artists. The initiative taken by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, for the development and expansion of Bangladesh's traditional culture, will play a great role in making our country more enlightened and humane," said President Abdul Hamid.

"My heartiest congratulations to all the brilliant and talented awardees of the Shilpakala Padak for 2019 and 2020. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has always been a front-liner in promoting the arts and culture in our country. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has been making a unique contribution in the field of culture through the construction of Shilpakala Academy infrastructure to the upazila level for the development of art and culture, preservation of folk-art heritage, and promotion of our rich culture on the international level," said Asaduzzaman Khan, Minister of Home Affairs.

Asaduzzaman Khan, along with the Secretary of Cultural Affairs, Md Abul Monsur attended the ceremony as special guests, while the State Minister for Cultural Affairs, K M Khalid, MP, presided over the programme. BSA Director General, Liaquat Ali Lucky delivered the welcome address at the event.

Liaquat Ali Lucky informed the audience that they are planning to open one of the biggest National Art Galleries in the South Asia, along with three auditoriums with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

Following the award presentation, artistes of BSA put on a soothing music and dance performance.

The award was not conferred in 2019 and the ceremony could not take place in 2020, due to the global pandemic.

The Shilpakala Padak has been awarded since 2013, on deserving creative personalities for their outstanding contributions to the arts.