– Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today handed over
“Swadhinata Purashkar-2020” (Independence Award-2020), the highest national
award, to eight distinguished persons including two posthumously and an
educational institute.
The premier attended the award giving ceremony virtually from her official
residence Ganabhaban here.
On behalf of the Prime Minister, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM
Mozammel Haque handed over the Independence Award-2020 to the recipients in
recognition of their glorious and outstanding contribution to their
respective fields.
The Cabinet Division organised the function from the Osmani Memorial
Auditorium here in the morning.
Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam moderated the function and read
out the citations with brief life sketch of the recipients.
The recipients are: Jute and Textiles Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, MP,
and Azizur Rahman for Independence and Liberation War, one of the key
Liberation War organisers Commander Abdur Rouf (posthumous), martyred
intellectual Md Anwar Pasha (posthumous), Professor Dr Md Obaidul Kabir
Chowdhury and Prof Dr AKMA Muktadir for medical science, Kalipada Das and
actress Ferdousi Mazumdar for culture and Bharateswari Homes, a boarding
school for girls in Tangail, for education.
Of the recipients, Azizur Rahman had recently died of Covid-19.
Prof Dr AKMA Muktadir on behalf of the awardees expressed his feeling on
receipt of the highest civilian award. Each award recipient was awarded with
a gold medal weighing 50 grams of gold of 18 karat, a certificate and Tk
500,000.
Since 1977, Bangladesh has honoured individuals and institutions with the
award every year ahead of Independence Day on March 26.