The proposal of awarding General MAG Osmani, the commander-in-chief of the Mukti Bahini during the Liberation War, posthumously with this year’s Independence Award has been withdrawn due to a precedence issue, as Osmani had already received the honor in 1985.
A statement from the Chief Adviser’s press wing on Tuesday night clarified that no Bangladeshi has ever been awarded the country’s highest civilian honor more than once.
The statement reads, "General MAG Osmani, the Commander in Chief of the Bangladesh Mukti Bahini, was honoured with the Independence Award in 1985. The Interim Government initially discussed posthumously giving him the Independence Award this year. But since there is no precedence of any Bangladeshi ever receiving the highest award of the country more than once, the idea was dropped."
Meanwhile, the government has reinstated the Independence Award for former President Ziaur Rahman.
This year’s honorees include Prof. Jamal Nazrul Islam, poet Mir Abdus Shukur Al Mahmud, sculptor Novera Ahmed, student activist Abrar Fahad, writer Badruddin Mohammad Umar, development leader Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, and musician Mohammad Mahbubul Haque Khan, alias Azam Khan.
Since 1977, Bangladesh has conferred the Independence Award annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the nation.
