Ziaur Rahman’s Independence Award reinstated, MAG Osmani not in final list

The government has reinstated the Independence Award given to martyred President Ziaur Rahman, reversing the previous decision to cancel his award. 

The award of Ziaur Rahman, who was posthumously awarded in 2003, was revoked in 2016. 

Meanwhile, the government nominated seven dignitaries for the Independence Award for 2025, in recognition of their glorious and outstanding contribution to the national level.

The cabinet division issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday. However, commander-in-chief of the liberation war MAG Osmani has not been included in the final list, despite earlier reports suggesting his nomination.

In this regard, cabinet secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid told Prothom Alo that MAG Osmani was initially considered for the award, but he had already received the award in 1985, and no one was honored twice. 

“Hence, his name was dropped from the final list,” he added. 

The nominees include scientist Professor Jamal Nazrul Islam, BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, writer and intellectual Badruddin Umar, poet Al Mahmud, one of the designers of the central Shaheed Minar Novera Ahmed, legendary musician Azam Khan, and Abrar Fahad, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) who was killed by banned student organisation Chhatra League in 2019.

Soon after his reported nomination, Badruddin Umar refused to receive the Independence Award. He said in a statement, “It is not possible for me to receive this award.” 

The eminent writer expressed his intention to refrain from accepting government and private awards, as per his longstanding practice.

“Since 1973, I have been awarded from many government and non-government organisations, and I accepted none of those. Now, the interim government announced to give me the Independence Award. I thank them for this, but it is not possible for me to receive this award too. I am informing it through this press statement,” he said. 

According to the cabinet division notification, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was posthumously awarded the Independence Award in 2003. The Supreme Court verdict, which served as the basis for the cancellation of his award, did not have any instruction to revoke the award.

This is why the decision to cancel his award has been revoked, considering his contribution to the liberation war.