Dhaka: A four-day 'International Literary Conference 2017' will begin on the premises of Bangla Academy tomorrow.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the literary conference along with month-long Ekushey Book Fair at a function at 3 pm.

Bangla Academy Director General Shamsuzzaman Khan said that 27 poets, writers and intellectuals from seven countries of the world will join the literary conference this year.

‘The countries are Russia, China, Austria, Germany, Puerto Rico, Sweden and India,’ he added.

He also said 18 poets and writers, including Shirshendu Mukherjee and Professor Pabitra Sarkar are joining the conference from West Bengal of India.

Reputed poets, writers and intellectuals from respective countries who are attending the conference including two from Germany, one from Austria, two from China, one from Russia, two from Puerto Rico and from Sweden.

Besides, eminent poets and writers of Bangladesh will attend the literary conference, the Bangla Academy director general said.

He said six poets and writers of Bangladesh would be given literary citations in this international literary conference. They are — National Professor Mustafa Nurul Islam, Rabindra researcher Ahmed Rafique, Emeritus Professor Dr. Rafiqul Islam, Professor Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir, Emeritus Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury and Emeritus Professor Dr. Anisuzzaman.

The four-day conference will have 16 sessions, Shamsuzzaman Khan said.

He added that after the inauguration of the conference on the first day, the second day's programme will include giving literary citations, recitation of poems by foreign poets and discussions and a seminar to be presided over by literature Hassan Azizul Huq .

The third day's programme includes a seminar on literature with poet Asad Chowdhury in the chair. Another seminar will be held on essays with Prof. Sirajul Islam Chowdhury presiding.

Besides, there will be functions on research essays, Liberation War literature and the languages of small anthropological groups.

The fourth or concluding day programmes will include three seminars and recitation of poems of 30 local and foreign poets in the evening.