16 eminent personalities to get Swadhinata Padak

Secretariat Correspondent: The government has nominated 16 eminent personalities for Swadhinata Padak-2018 (Independence Award-2018) in recognition of their glorious and outstanding contribution at the national level.

A list of the personalities nominated for the award has been published on Tuesday, according to a cabinet division press release.

Those who have been nominated for the awards are: Quazi Zakir Hasan (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Shaheed SMA Rashidul Hasan (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Sankar Govinda Chowdhury (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Air Vice Marshal Sultan Mahmud Bir Uttam in Independence and Liberation War, M Abdur Rahim (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Bhupati Bhusan Chowdhury alias Manik Chowdhury (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Shaheed Lieutenant Mohammad Anwarul Azim (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Humayun Rashid Chowdhury (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Shaheed Amanullah Mohammad Asaduzzaman (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Shaheed Motiur Rahman Mallik (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Shaheed Sergeant Zahrul Haq (Posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War, Amzadul Haq-Independence and Liberation War, Prof Dr AK M D Ahsan Ali in medicine, Professor AK Azad Khan in Social Service, Selina Hossen in Literature and Dr M Abdul Mazid in food security.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to hand over the awards to the winners or their relatives at a function at the Osmani Memorial Hall in the capital on 25 March.

The Independence Day Award was introduced in 1977 and is bestowed upon Bangladeshi citizens or organisations in recognition of substantial contributions to several fields, including the War of Liberation, the language movement, education, literature, journalism, public service, science and technology, medical science, social science, music, games and sports, fine arts, rural development and other areas.

Each awardee receives a gold medal, a certificate of honour and a cash amount. The amount of the cash prize was originally Tk. 20,000, but was subsequently increased to Tk. 100,000 in 2004.


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 20, 2018/Hasan/AI