The 81st birth anniversary of poet, columnist and journalist late Shamsur Rahman is being observed on Saturday recalling the fond memory of the great litterateur.

The poet's family is remembering him in a family programme at their home in the city's Shyamoli.

His widow Zohra Rahman told bdnews24.com that they would recall him in a simple programme at their home. She also urged people to pray for the soul of the poet.

Jatiya Kabita Parishad and Shamsur Rahman Smriti Parishad will jointly hold a function at Dhaka University Teachers Student Centre in the evening.

The function, expected to be presided over by professor Kabir Chowdhury, will have a discussion session, recitation and a cultutal programme,

Earlier on Friday evening, another programme, directed by Rafiqul Islam, a performer of recitation, was held at Shawkat Osman Memorial Auditorium at the Central Public Library.

Shamsur Rahman was born on October 23, 1929 at Mahut-Tuli in old Dhaka. Rahman left more than sixty books of poetry and is considered a leading figure in Bengali literature.

His works contained liberal humanism, human relations, romanticised rebellion of youth, the emergence of and consequent events in Bangladesh, and opposition to religious fundamentalism. He died in 2006 of heart and kidney ailments after having been in a coma for two weeks,