Zia's Swadhinata Padak restored 

The interim government has reinstated the posthumous Independence Award (Swadhinata Padak) bestowed upon the late president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman. The previous Awami League government cancelled his award in 2016 against the backdrop of the Supreme Court's verdict.

The Cabinet Division on Tuesday announced the decision in a notification announcing the names of recipients for this year's Independence Award.

According to the notification, seven distinguished individuals including deceased Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad were nominated for the Independence Award, 2025, in recognition of their brilliant and outstanding contributions at the national level. 

Among the new awardees, six will receive posthumous awards, including BUET student Abrar Fahad, who was murdered in October 2019.

The Independence Award (Swadhinata Padak), Bangladesh's highest civilian award, was introduced in 1977 when Ziaur Rahman was in power. The government has been presenting the Independence Award every year since 1977 on Independence Day, March 26.

Recipients of the Independence Award are given Tk5 lakh, a 50-gram gold medal of 18-carat quality, a replica of the medal, and a certificate of honour.

According to the list, Professor Jamal Nazrul Islam (posthumous) was awarded in Science and Technology category while Mir Abdus Shukur Al Mahmud, well-known as poet Al Mahmud, (posthumous) will receive the Independence Award in Literature this year.