Indian thespian and singer Debajit Bandyopadhyay has been conferred with the Munier Chowdhury Sammanona. The award was conferred alongside the Mohammad Zakaria Smrity Padak like every year. Pantha Shahriar received the Zakaria Smrity Padak. On November 29 the awards were handed over at Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city. Ramendu Majumdar gave the welcome speech of the event while Ferdousi Mazumder presided over it. Professor Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam was the special guest at the event.

After receiving the award Debajit Bandyopadhyay said, "I do not know how worthy I am for this award. But it is an unbelievable feeling to get an award named after Munier Chowdhury. I have never worked for recognition but this award related with the name of Munier Chowdhury is a great achievement, now I have been vested with the responsibility to prove my worthiness in the path the old masters." Towards the end of the programme Debajit also presented musical performance.

Pantha Shahriar on his part said that any recognition is inspiring. Claiming the Mohammad Zakaria Smrity Padak to be is his first achievement for stage shows, he added that this has unique value for him and inspires him for something new.

Initiated in 1989 the first Munier Chowdhury Award went to Mohammad Zakaria, who has played a major role in theatre movement in the country for nearly five decades. Later in 1997 another award this time named after Mohammad Zakaria himself was introduced.