This is the first time that Gangopadhyay was felicitated in Kolkata after assuming the post, run by the central government.

The function took place at the Book Fair, in Salt Lake Stadium. Many well known authors like Buddhadeb Guha, Samaresh Majumdar and Rabindra Sangeet exponent Suchitra Mitra, among others, were present at the event.

On February 20, Gangopadhyay was elected as the new president of the literary body after defeating Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair and Prof Satyavrat Shastri, a Sanskrit master.

During the function, Gangopadhyay said he was overwhelmed by the response of the literary community in Kolkata.

Eminent Bengali writer Buddhadeb Guha, who on several occasions had been critical of Gangopadhyay, was also present at the function.