18 receive Swadhinata Padak

Eighteen distinguished personalities have been given the ‘Swadhinata Padak-2018’ (Independence Award), the highest civilian honour of the country, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday handed over the award to the recipients at a function organised by the cabinet division at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city, reports UNB.

The recipients are: Quazi Zakir Hasan (posthumous), Shaheed SMA Rashidul Hasan (posthumous), Shankar Govinda Chowdhury (posthumous), air vice-marshal Sultan Mahmud Bir Uttam, M Abdur Rahim (posthumous), Bhupati Bhusan Chowdhury alias Manik Chowdhury (posthumous), shaheed lieutenant Mohammad Anwarul Azim (posthumous), Humayun Rashid Chowdhury (posthumous), Shaheed Amanullah Mohammad Asaduzzaman (posthumous), Shaheed Motiur Rahman Mallik (posthumous), Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq (posthumous) and Amzadul Haq in the independence and liberation war category while cultural affairs minister Assaduzzaman Noor in culture, and Channel-i director Shykh Seraj in agricultural journalism, AKMD Ahsan Ali in medicine, AK Azad Khan in social service, Selina Hossen in literature and M Abdul Mazid in food security.

Cabinet secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam read out the citations at the programme.

Cabinet members, MPs, secretaries, diplomats, the award recipients and others were present on the occasion.