The programmes began at 10 am on Monday with the placing of wreaths at Central Shaheed Minar, grave of Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah and Martyrs intellectuals at Dhaka University.
A discussion programme followed by a cultural function and memorial discussion was held at the Abdul Karim Shahitya Bisharad auditorium of the academy at 4pm.
Columnist, researcher and cultural personality Mofidul Haque presented the founding anniversary speech at the discussion programme, presided over by author Subrata Barua.
Bangla Academy DG Prof Shamsuzzaman Khan, its secretary and directors participated in the memory-sharing programme.
Bangla Academy began its journey on December 3, 1955. Chief Minister of the then East Bengal Abu Hossain Sarker inaugurated the academy. Then Education Minister of East Bangla Ashrafuddin also addressed the function held at Battola of the erstwhile Bardhaman House.
Bangla Academy had started its activities with four sections, which were expanded to six by the preparatory committee in its 10th meeting on May 18, 1957. The sections are research, translation, compilation, publications and sales, and culture and library.
The then President of independent Bangladesh promulgated the Bangla Academy Order 1972 on May 17, 1972 and then the erstwhile Central Board for Development of Bengali was merged with the academy.
The number of its sections was increased to 10 by 1983 as finance and planning, establishment, folklore and textbook sections were added to the existing ones.
The Academy’s main task is to conduct research on Bangla language, culture, and history, and publish Bangla literary and research works. It organises the month-long Ekushey Book Fair, the biggest book fair of the country, commemorating the Language Movement and its martyrs.