Zakir Talukder returns Bangla Academy award

Prominent fiction writer Zakir Talukder has returned his Bangla Academy Literary Award, expressing dissatisfaction with the management of the institution.

He revealed his decision on Sunday on a social media, citing concerns about the academy’s ‘undemocratic’ and ‘bureaucratic’ nature, as well as its declining standards.

Zakir Talukder, who received the award in 2014 said the absence of elections for over two decades and the appointment of the executive council based on personal preferences have diminished the academy’s stature.

“When the quality of an institution deteriorates, its awards lose their significance,” he said.

Consequently, he returned both the award crest and the accompanying cheque.