Staff Correspondent 
Four young Bangladeshi writers have received the City Bank-sponsored ‘Kalo O Kolom Tarun Kobi O Lekhok Puraskar-2025’ in recognition of their outstanding contributions to four creative fields of Bengali literature—poetry, essays and research, fiction, and children’s and young adult literature.
This year’s award recipients are poet Ronok Jaman, researcher Rafat Alam, fiction writer Hamim Kamal, and children’s author Rabiul Kamal.
Ronok Jaman received the award in the poetry category for his collection ‘Ei Gram Kuriye Peyechi’. Rafat Alam was honored in the essay and research category for ‘Bangladesh Path: Sahityik O Sangskritik Kriyashilotar Anushonge’. Hamim Kamal won in the fiction category for his novel ‘Tristan’, while Rabiul Kamal received the children’s and young adult literature award for ‘Dossyu O Dui Duronto’.
The awards were presented at a ceremony held at Bengal Shilpalay in Dhanmondi on Saturday evening. Each recipient received a cheque worth Tk 200,000 and a crest.
The event began with a documentary on the ‘Kalo O Kolom Tarun Kobi O Lekhok Puraskar’. Later, fiction writer and jury member Imdadul Haque Milan announced the names of the winners.
No award was given in the Liberation War and Revolution category this year, as no book of sufficient quality was found for the category.
Fiction writer Hasnat Abdul Hye attended the event as the chief guest, while essayist and researcher Professor Abul Ahsan Chowdhury was the discussant. City Bank Managing Director and CEO Masrur Reza, ‘Kalo O Kolom’ editorial board member Faruk Mahmud, and Bengal Foundation Trustee Board member and Director General Luva Nahid Chowdhury were also present.
As part of the centenary celebration of the Muslim Sahitya Samaj, singer Priyanka Gop performed several historic songs at the event, including ‘Mor Beena Othe’, ‘Asile Ke Go Atithi’, ‘Bosiya Bijone’ and ‘Durgom Giri’.
The ‘Kalo O Kolom Tarun Kobi O Lekhok Puraskar’ has been awarded since 2008 by ‘Kalo O Kolom’, a monthly magazine focused on literature, art and culture, to encourage young poets and writers in the literary arena. So far, 71 young literary figures have received the award.
