Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday handed over ‘Swadhinata Purashkar’, the highest national civil award, to nine persons and two government organisations for their glorious and significant contributions at the national level.
The nine individuals, who were picked for the Independence Award, included the fathers of at least two cabinet members and of two Members of Parliament from the ruling Awami League.
Among the recipients, freedom fighter Ilias Ahmed Chowdhury, martyred Colonel Khandaker Nazmul Huda Bir Bikram, freedom fighter Abdul Jalil, freedom fighter Siraj Uddin Ahmed, freedom fighter Mohammad Sahiuddin Bishwas and freedom fighter Sirajul Haque have been given the award in the ‘Independence and Liberation War’ category.
Late Ilias Ahmed Chowdhury is the father of Awami League MPs Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury (Madaripur-1) and Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury (Faridpur-4), late advocate Sirajul Haque is the father of law minister Anisul Huq and late Sahiuddin Biswas is the father of State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain.
Ilias Ahmed was one of the liberation war organisers. ‘He played an important role in forming the ‘Mujib Bahini’ during the 1971 Liberation War and held the post of its treasurer,’ said a government document introducing the Independence Award recipients.
Martyred colonel Nazmul Huda and Abdul Jalil were accused in the historic Agartola Conspiracy Case in 1969 with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding president, according to the document prepared by the Cabinet Division.
Siraj Uddin, as a member of the East Pakistan Civil Service 1966, was posted as a sub-divisional officer in Barguna from 1972 to 1975. He protested at the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family on August 15, 1975 and refrained from enforcing martial law and curfew ignoring the military regime’s order, according to the document.
The Rakkhi Bahini and the police in Barguna revolted against the then illegal government at his instruction while he himself took up arms protesting at the killing of people, said the document.
Sahiuddin was the president of Meherpur Awami League till his death in 1990 from 1969. He took the charge of the district governor on July 16 in 1975 at the call of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, it mentioned.
Sirajul Haque was one of the members of the ‘Constitution Committee’ of the 1972 Constituent Assembly. He was the chief special prosecutor of the Sheikh Mujib killing case and the Jail Killing case from 1996 till his death on October 28, 2002.
Besides, Professor Kanak Kanti Barua and Professor Md Kamrul Islam received the state award for their contributions to medical education while late architect Syed Moinul Hossain was given the award (posthumous) in the ‘Architecture’ category, according to a Cabinet Division notification.
Moreover, the Power Division has been given the award for their success in bringing Bangladesh under 100 per cent electricity coverage and the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute has been given the award in the ‘Research and Training’ category.
Sheikh Hasina distributed the award at a ceremony at her Tejgaon office.
She handed over the award to the two living freedom fighters, Siraj Uddin Ahmed and Abdul Jalil, after coming down from the stage, the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.
Each award recipient received a gold medal, a certificate and an honorarium cheque, the BSS reported.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque was present, among others, at the function moderated by cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam.
The government on Wednesday announced that it had decided to give Swadhinata Purashkar to the Power Division in a further revision of the list of the highest civil award for its role in the socio-economic development of the country by ensuring 100 per cent electrification coverage and completing the electrification coverage in the Mujib Year,’ said a press release issued by the Cabinet Division.
On March 18, the government dropped the name of Md Amir Hamza from the list of the Independence Award recipients amid widespread criticism for choosing the little-known writer for the highest civilian award Swadhinata Purashkar, also known as the Independence Award.
It then issued a revised list dropping the name and without naming anyone for the award in the category of literature this year.
Late Amir Hamza, the father of a deputy secretary, was picked for the state award in literature, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on March 15.
Names of nine individuals and one institution were previously announced for the Swadhinata Purashkar this year for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields in the country, said the revised press release issued on March 18.
Bangladesh has been honouring individuals and institutions with the award every year since 1977 ahead of Independence Day observed on March 26.
Of the recipients, Professor Kanak Kanti Barua expressed his feelings on the occasion.
