Poet Rezauddin Ahmed Stalin appointed Director General of Shilpakala Academy

Poet Rezauddin Ahmed Stalin has been appointed director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy for a one-year term, according to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration today.

The appointment was confirmed through a notification issued today, undersigned by Abu Saleh Md Mahfuzul Alam, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration.

The appointment has also been confirmed to The Daily Star by Academy official Ehsanur Rahman. Rezauddin Ahmed tenure will begin from the date of his joining, on the condition that he relinquishes ties with other organisations, the notification states.

Born in 1962 in Nalbhanga village of Jhenaidah, Rezauddin Ahmed published his first poem, "Shapath", at the age of eight. A Dhaka University graduate, he built his career in journalism and cultural activities and later served as deputy director of the Nazrul Institute. His poetry has been translated into English, Hindi, Russian, German, Chinese, Japanese, and French. In recognition of his literary contributions, he received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2006.

Rezauddin Ahmed also served as a member of the National Poetry Council.

The post of director general has seen repeated changes over the past year. Long-time DG Liaquat Ali Lucky resigned on August 5, 2024, following the fall of the Awami League government during the student-led mass uprising.

Theatre director and researcher Syed Jamil Ahmed was appointed on September 9, 2024, for a two-year term, but resigned in February this year. Mohammad Wares Hossain was then given charge as acting director general in March.

Most recently, an interim order had assigned the role to Abul Foyez Md Alauddin Khan, additional secretary at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Rezauddin Ahmed's appointment now marks the fourth change in leadership at the Academy within just over a year.