An international seminar on the influence of Persian language and literature on Kazi Nazrul Islam was held at RC Majumder Arts Auditorium, University of Dhaka (DU) on Wednesday.

Abu Rayhan Biruni Foundation (ARBF), Dhaka organized the seminar commemorating the 118th birth anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh.

The seminar titled ‘The First International Seminar on the Influence of Persian Language and Literature on Kazi Nazrul Islam: Special Reference to Hakim Umar Khayyam’ was followed by a colourful cultural session, including singing songs and ghazals of Nazrul and recitation from his poems.

Iranian Ambassador in Dhaka Dr. Abbas Vaezi Dehnavi was present at the seminar as chief guest while Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haq of the Department of Bengali and Professor Dr. Kulsoom Abul Bashar Mazumdar of the Department of Persian Language and Literature at DU were present as special guests.

Professor Shamim Banu, Institute of Modern Languages, DU; Dr. Abu Musa Mohammad Arif Billah, Department of Persian Language and Literature, DU and Professor Ahmed Kabir, Department of Bengali, DU presented keynote speeches on the topic while Mohammad Ahsanul Hadi, Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, DU delivered the summary of three papers sent by Iranian professors.

Sayeed Ahmed Anis, son of Munir Uddin Yusuf, the translator of the Shahnamah of Firdausi; Shanaz Arfeen, writer and a researcher of Persian Literature; A M M Farhad, AMD of Social Islami Bank Limited, also vice-chair, ARBF, and a writer, and Asad Chowdhury, a major poet of Bangladesh, also took part in the discussion.

The seminar was presided over by Dr. Abu Musa Mohammad Arif Billah, chairman of ARBF.