UNESCO introduces Bangabandhu award for creative economy

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) had decided to introduce an award in the name of Bangabandhu. The fall session of UNECSO’s executive council on Friday unanimously passed the proposal for the ‘UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize in the Field of Creative Economy.’

This is the first time that any UN agency has launched an award in the name of Bangabandhu.

Speaking to newspersons in his office on Sunday, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said UNESCO introduces international prizes with financial assistance from member countries, for contributions made in the fields of education, culture, science and technology. UNESCO has introduced 23 such awards so far. This is the first time that the organisation has launched an international award in the name of a universally respected personality.

The foreign minister said that the UNESCO international award would help in internationalizing Bangabandhu’s ideology on the occasion of his birth centenary.

He said that in August 2019, Bangladesh’s ambassador in Paris and Bangladesh’s permanent representative in UNESCO Kazi Imtiaz Hossain submitted a proposal to the UNESCO director general regarding the Bangabandhu award. The proposal was tabled at the 210th meeting of the UNESCO executive council.

AK Abdul Momen said that the prize, amounting to USD 50,000, would be proffered every two years from 2021.