PM Hasina hands over Independence Award-2021

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday handed over “Swadhinata Purashkar-2021” (Independence Award-2021), the highest national award of the country, to nine distinguished persons and a research organisation.

The PM attended the award giving ceremony at her official residence Gonobhaban in Dhaka, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reports.

Among the award recipients, AKM Bazlur Rahman, Shaheed Ahsanullah Master, freedom fighter brigadier general Khurshid Uddin Ahmed, and Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu were given the award posthumously for their contributions to independence and the War of Liberation.

Besides, Mrinmoy Guha Neogi received this highest state award for his contributions to science and technology while Mohadeb Saha for literature, Ataur Rahman and Gazi Mazharul Anwar for culture, and professor M Amjad Hossain for social works.

In addition, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council received the award in the research and training category.

Each award recipient received a gold medal, a certificate and a cheque of honorarium.

Cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam moderated the function and read out the citations with brief life sketch of the recipients.

Since 1977, Bangladesh has been honouring individuals and institutions with the award every year ahead of Independence Day on 26 March.