The 21st death anniversary of poet Begum Sufia Kamal is being observed today (Friday).

On the occasion, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages paying profound respect to the memory of the poet.

They prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul of Sufia Kamal.

Born on June 20, 1911 in an aristocratic family, known as the Nabab family of Shayestabad in Barishal, Begum Sufia Kamal dedicated her whole life to the promotion of women liberty, progressive thinking and non-communal politics.

She was an activist of the historic Language Movement of 1952 and also played a significant role in the Great War of Liberation. She was also an excellent organiser. In 1956, she organised “Kochi-Kachar Mela”, an organisation of children, and organised the Bangladesh Mohila Parishad in 1970.

Begum Sufia Kamal died in Dhaka on November 20 in 1999 and was buried at Azimpur Graveyard with full state honour.

She won more than 50 awards for her contributions to the literature including “Ekushey Padak”, “Swadhinata Dibash Padak”, “Bangla Academy Padak”, “Soviet Lenin Award”, “Begum Rokeya Padak”, “Jatiya Kobita Porishad Award”.