A literary gathering of poets and writers was held at a city hotel recently. Banglanews24.com, an online news portal, organised the “Sahitya Adda” that was dedicated to journalist and rhymester Obaidul Gani Chandan who passed away recently.

Chandan had been working as feature editor at the Daily Manabkantha, published from Dhaka.  

Consultant editor of Banglanews, poet Jewel Mazhar, actress Joyatika Jyoti and painter Kheya Mezbah were present at the adda, among others.

Poets Shamsul Fayez, Yeazdani Koraishi Kajol, Prof Nazrul Hayat, Farid Ahmed Dulal, Salehin Shipra, Ehsan Habib and journalists Shamsul Alam Khan and Rawshan Jhunu took part in the session.

The poets and writers said that in the past writers had to fight for a platform but now writers have scope to express themselves through the print and electronic media.

The lifestyle of diverse communities and the folklore and folk music of Mymensingh have given the region prominence, said the speakers adding that organising such programmes will bring literary activists under the same umbrella in future.

They also remembered the contributions of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Abul Mansur Ahmad, Abul Kalam Shamsuddin, Humayun Ahmed and Nirmalendu Goon in the field of arts and literature, who hailed from Mymensingh region.