The Dhaka International Poets Summit 2019 started on January 30. As part of the festival a seminar and poetry recitation event were held on January 31at the Independent University Auditorium in the city. Poet Aminur Rahman, president of the festival organising body was present as special guest while Professor M Omar Rahman, vice chancellor of the university was present as chief guest at the event. The seminar was on Contemporary World Poetry. On the other hand the recitation event featured seven poets from six different countries around the world. Participating poets were Dr Ali Al-Shalah of Iraq, Annabel Villar and Julio Pavanetti of Uruguay, Claire Booker of Britain, Kama Sywor Kamanda of Congo, Malim Ghazali Pk of Malaysia and Dr Tianxin Cai of China.

As part of the summit the literary award giving ceremony was held at Shilpakala Academy. At the event foreign poets along with their Bangladeshi counterparts were also present poetry recitations at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The Information Minister Hasan Mahmud was present as chief guest at the event.

Participating poets in the summit were also attended the National Poetry Festival organised by National Poetry Council. The poets visited the Ekushey Book Fair- that has started on February 1for a month on Bangla Academy and Sohrawardy Uddyan in remembrance of the Language Movement in February, 1952. The poets of the summit also addressed the press during their visit to the book fair. The final event of this year's summit also took place at Biswa Sahitya Kendra on February 2. The foreign poets read out their poems for the final time in this year's summit through the event. As part of the event a memorial programme was held for poet Fazal Shahabuddin.