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The government is presenting the Independence Award – the country’s highest civilian honour - to seven individuals for their meritorious contributions to the nation.
Recipients this year include pop king Azam Khan, BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, and BUET student Abrar Fahad.
The government has also decided to reinstate the posthumous award presented to late president Ziaur Rahman, which had previously been revoked.
The Cabinet Division announced the nominees in a notification on Tuesday, naming six of the seven for posthumous accolades.
Writer and intellectual Badruddin Umar is the only nominee alive but he said it was “impossible” for him to accept the award in the Education and Research category.
Abrar, the BUET student who was tortured to death by Chhatra League activists, will be given the prestigious award under a new category -- “Protesting Youth”.
The other nominees are:
Prof Jamal Nazrul Islam in Science and Technology
Mir Abdus Shukur Al Mahmud in Literature
Novera Ahmed in Culture
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in Social Service
Mohammad Mahbubul Haque Khan, aka Azam Khan in Liberation War and Culture
The Independence Award is the country’s highest civilian honour, which has been awarded annually by the government since 1977 on the occasion of Independence Day on Mar 26.
Award recipients receive Tk 300,000, an 18-karat gold medal weighing 50 gm, a replica of the medal, and a certificate.