Baul Jasimuddin and his troupe perform at the event. Photo: STAR

A three-day programme marking the 53rd anniversary of the historic Kagmari Conference began at Santosh in Tangail on February 7.

The first day's programme included Baul songs, a discussion and traditional lathi khela.

Baul Jasimuddin of Dighulia, Tangail and his team staged a stirring performance of Baul songs, including several on the Kagmari Conference and legendary politician Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani.

Language Movement veteran Abdul Matin inaugurated the programme at the Maulana Bhasani University of Science and Technology (MBUST) campus and addressed the discussion as the chief guest.

“We have acquired an independent Bangladesh, but people are not yet free from exploitation,” said Matin.

The Language Movement veteran expressed the hope that politicians would be imbued with the spirit of the Kagmari Conference and fight poverty, illiteracy and all kinds of injustice.

Coordinator of Maulana Bhasani Research Centre Syed Irfanul Bari presided over the discussion.

Among others, politician Hamidul Haque Mohan, engineer Inamul Haque, Khandakar Nazim Uddin, Mahmudul Haque Shanu, and two students of MBUST -- Akter Jahan and Tarana Jannat -- also spoke at the discussion.

Lathi khela, a specialty of the Kagmari conference, was also held at the concluding session.