Winners of BRAC Bank-Samakal Literary Award 2023 announced

Hasnat Abdul Hye, Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, Dhruba Esh and Umme Farhana have won the BRAC Bank-Samakal Literary Award for books published in the year 2023.

BRAC Bank and Daily Samakal have recognised writers and litterateurs for 13 years, inspiring them to enrich Bangla literature with their creative and intellectual works, according to a media release. 

The ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ was introduced by BRAC Bank and Daily Samakal to recognise a veteran author who contributed significantly to Bangla literature. This year, veteran writer and novelist Hasnat Abdul Hye was honoured with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his lifelong contribution to Bangla literature.     

Aminul Islam Bhuiyan won the award for his book titled ’Plato Probeshika’ in essay, autobiography, travel story and translation category, Dhruba Esh won the award for his book titled ‘Amader Porabastab Towner Dinratri’ in the poetry and novel category, Umme Farhana won for his book titled ‘Talk To Me’ in ‘Young Writer’ category.      

The awards were announced at a ceremony at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on July 4, 2025. Bangla Academy President Professor Abul Quasem Fazlul Huq spoke as the Chief Guest at the ceremony. Managing Director of Ha-meem Group A K Azad, BRAC Bank’s Vice Chairperson Faruq Mayeenuddin Ahmed, BRAC Bank’s Deputy Managing Director & CFO M Masud Rana FCA, Daily Samakal Editor Shahed Mohammad Ali and literary and eminent personalities of the country were present at the ceremony.    

The ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ winner gets a Tk. 5 lakh prize. Winners in the ‘essay, autobiography, travel story & translation’ and ‘poetry and novel’ categories each received Tk. 2 lakh and the ‘Young Writer Award’ Tk. 1 lakh. The winners also received the crest and citation.

A total of 467 books were submitted for the three categories in 2023. A jury comprising Begum Akhtar Kamal, Faizul Latif Chowdhury, Abid Anwar, and Khalikuzzaman Elias selected three winning books published in 2023.

On the award initiative, BRAC Bank Vice Chairperson Faruq Mayeenuddin Ahmed said, “Since its inception, this literary award has sparked great enthusiasm in Bangladesh’s literary landscape and firmly established its presence. It serves as an inspiration for creative minds and offers a meaningful platform for writers—especially emerging talents—to thrive in literature. Readers, in turn, will benefit from access to quality works. At BRAC Bank, we are proud to support this initiative that nurtures the country’s literary excellence.”

Daily Samakal Editor Shahed Mohammad Ali said, “Samakal has always championed local culture and literary practice. We believe literature and culture are integral to the pursuit of quality journalism. Samakal will continue to uphold and promote cultural values as an essential part of its journalistic mission.”

Managing Director of Ha-meem Group A K Azad said, "This literary award ceremony is more than a cultural event—it reflects our commitment to social responsibility. We are proud and delighted to be associated with this initiative. With everyone’s support, this initiative will not only continue but also grow in scale and impact in the future.”