Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said Bangladesh would live in the world forever keeping its head high as a victorious nation without turning to others for help. She made the remark while distributing the "Swadhinata Padak-2018" (Independence Award-2018) at Osmany Memorial Auditorium in the capital.
This year 18 eminent citizens were conferred the highest national award. Of them, eleven got the award for their contribution and supreme sacrifice for the independence while seven received the award for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
Those awarded are late Kazi Zakir Hasan, martyred intellectual SMA Rashidul Hasan, late Shankar Gobinda Chowdhury, Air Vice-Marshal (Retd.) Sultan Mahmud, Bir Uttam, late M Abdur Rahim, late Bhupati Bhushan Chowdhury alias Manik Chowdhury, Shaheed Lt M Anwarul Azim, late Humayun Rashid Chowdhury, Shaheed Amanullah Mohammad Asaduzzaman, Shaheed Matiur Rahman Mallik, Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque and Amzadul Haque (Independence and Liberation War), Dr AK Md Ahsan Ali (Medical Science), Prof AK Azad Khan (Social Service), Selina Hossain (Literature) and Dr Md Abdul Mazid (Food Security), Cultural Affairs Minister Assaduzzaman Noor (Culture) and Channel I director Shykh Seraj (agricultural journalism).
The Prime Minister handed over 'Swadhinata Padak- 2018' to eight recipients while wives and family members of the others received the crest, medal and certificate. Each award recipients was given a medal weighing 50-gram gold of 18 karat, Tk 300,000 and a citation.
Since the inception of the Independence Award, 247 personalities and organizations have so far received it. Sheikh Hasina said the Award would instill inspiration into the new generation to be imbued with the spirit of patriotism, carrying out their responsibility to the nation to take it forward in future.
The Prime Minister said the success of graduation from LDC club to developing nation came due to the performance of the Awami League led government as well as hard labour of the country's peasants, labourers and working class people.
"What Bangladesh achieved during our 14 year tenure could not be achieved during the other political regimes though their duration in power is almost double our time in office," Sheikh Hasina said.
Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam moderated the function and read out the citation of the Independence Award recipients with their brief life sketch while Prof Dr Md Abdul Mazid addressed the programme on behalf of the award recipients.
Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Rehana, ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker, judges, parliament members, chiefs of three services, diplomats, vice-chancellors of different universities and high civil and military officials attended the function.
