(L-R) Dwijen Sharma, Professor Hayat Mamud and Professor Anisuzzaman at the programme. Photo: Mumit M.

To celebrate the 70th birthday of essayist-poet Professor Hayat Mamud, publication house Nabajug Prakashani arranged a discussion programme at the Poet Sufia Kamal Auditorium, National Museum on July 2. Eminent personalities discussed on life and works of Hayat Mamud at the programme.
A book titled Prabandha Sangraha, a collection of essays by Hayat Mamud, was launched at the programme. Essayist Dwijen Sharma unveiled the book.
Noted educationist Professor Anisuzzaman presided over the discussion. In his speech Anisuzzaman said, "I was introduced to Hayat Mamud nearly fifty years back. We have discussed contemporary literature and litterateurs on several occasions."
Hayat Mamud's lifelong friend and media personality Humayun Chowdhury said, "Hayat Mamud's original name was Moniruzzaman. When, he started writing poems, he wanted a pen-name and we decided to go with 'Hayat Mamud'."
Director General of Bangla Academy, Professor Syed Mohammad Shahed said, "I became a fan of Hayat Mamud after reading one of his books on Rabindranath Tagore."
Among others, theatre personality Professor Momtazuddin Ahmed; essayist Professor Ali Anwar; essayist-litterateur Jyoti Prakash Dutta; essayist Professor Shafi Ahmed; media personality Asaduzzaman Nur and publisher of Nabajug Prakashani, Ashok Roy Nandi spoke at the programme.
Hayat Mamud was born in Hooghly, West Bengal in 1939. He completed Bachelor and Masters degree in Bengali Literature from University of Dhaka. He completed Ph. D on Contemporary Literature from Jadavpur University. For several years he was a teacher of Jahangirnagar University. Hayat Mamud received a Bangla Academy Award for children's literature.