The government has officially recognised Kazi Nazrul Islam as the National Poet effective from the date of his arrival in Bangladesh on May 24, 1972. “In accordance with the proposal approved at the December meeting of the Advisory Council, poet Kazi Nazrul Islam has been declared the National Poet of Bangladesh,” read a gazette notification issued yesterday by the cultural affairs ministry. The proposal to declare Kazi Nazrul Islam as the national poet was approved during the Advisory Council's meeting on December 5. Kabi Nazrul Institute executive director Md Latiful Islam Shibli thanked the government for such an initiative and said, “The decision of the interim government will be remembered in history as no political or other government has taken the decision in the past despite common people’s sincere expectations for years”. He said it has been a long overdue demand of many socio-cultural organizations and Nazrul devotees who have been running from the streets to the courts for this demand for years.  “There had been writings and articles with the demand. Discussion also took place in the national parliament in this regard,” he said, adding, “However, after reaching the issue to the minister's table, a popular cultural minister of the fascist Awami regime rejected this demand”. Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam came to Dhaka from Kolkata with his family on May 24, 1972 by the government initiative and was allocated house 330-B on 28 (Old) Road, Dhanmondi for his residence. The Bangladesh government granted the poet Bangladeshi citizenship on  February 18,  1976 and awarded the prestigious Ekushey Padak in the same year.