BRAC Bank and Daily Samakal have long been honouring writers and litterateurs with the aim of promoting Bangla literature and inspiring writers.
The awards were announced at a ceremony at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on October 9, 2026.
Eminent writer Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury and novelist Selina Hossain were honoured with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for the year 2024 and 2025 respectively. BRAC Bank and Daily Samakal introduced the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ to recognise a veteran author who contributed significantly to Bangla literature.
At the ‘BRAC Bank–Daily Samakal Literary Award 2024’, Abul Ahsan Choudhury won in the essay, autobiography, travel and translation category for his book “Vidyasagar, Bankimchandra, Rabindranath and Musolman Samaj”; Anwara Syed Haq won in the poetry and novel category for her book “Shomoy Bohiya Gelo”; and Nizam Biswas won the Young Writer Award for his book “Jolmakorer Noukabaich”.
At the ‘BRAC Bank–Daily Samakal Literary Award 2025’, Nasreen Jahan won in the essay, autobiography, travel and translation category for her book “Paloker Chinhogulo”; Shaheen Akhtar won in the Poetry and Novel category for her book “Manchitra”; and Mahbub Mayukh Rishad won the Young Writer Award for his book “Cyanide Phool”.
Eminent economist and adviser of the caretaker government Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud spoke as the Chief Guest at the ceremony. Managing Director of Times Media Limited A K Azad, BRAC Bank’s Vice Chairperson Faruq Mayeenuddin Ahmed, BRAC Bank’s Additional Managing Director & Head of SME Banking Syed Abdul Momen, 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. 3 lakh and the ‘Young Writer Award’ Tk. 2 lakh. The winners also received the crest and citation.
A total of 460 books were submitted in 2024 and 510 books in the year 2025 for the three categories. A jury comprising Begum Akhtar Kamal, Faizul Latif Chowdhury, Abid Anwar, and Khalikuzzaman Elias selected winning books published in 2024 and 2025.
On the award initiative, BRAC Bank Vice Chairperson Faruq Mayeenuddin Ahmed, said: “Our award has emerged as a unique example in society, inspiring both writers and readers to engage more deeply with literature. At the same time, we recognise that this growing recognition brings with it a greater responsibility to do more. Through this award, we aspire to contribute to nurturing the talent, intellectual depth and creativity of people across Bangladesh.”
BRAC Bank’s Additional Managing Director & Head of SME Banking Syed Abdul Momen 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 Times Media Limited 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.”