For the first time in 39 years, the National Poetry Festival was held at the Shaheed Minar instead of Dhaka University's Hakim Chattar. Dhaka University is the heart of Bengali culture, a birthplace of secularism and democracy, behind which the Dhaka University Central Students' Union, or Ducsu has played a major role." As a result, for the first time today, we're having to hold at the Shaheed Minar the festival we've been organizing within the Dhaka University area for 40 years." National Poetry Festival 2026After the opening ceremony at National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's tomb, poets took out a colorful procession that wound through TSC before culminating at the Central Shaheed Minar. This year's National Poetry Festival is being held with this challenge in mind."

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 01, 2026 21:33 UTC