The Mother Teresa International Award has been conferred on Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir for his contributions to the media industry of Bangladesh.
The award committee handed over the award to Anvir at a function held at Satyajit Ray Auditorium of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in Kolkata on Thursday evening, a press release said on Friday.
As part of the reward, Anvir was given a certificate, a memento with a picture of Mother Teresa, a shawl and a packet of sweets.
The function was organized to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Mother Teresa International Award.
West Bengal Trinamool Congress MLA Debasish Kumar and Mother Teresa International Award Committee Chairman Anthony Arun Biswas were present on the occasion along with the top officials of Bashundhara Group.
Being overwhelmed by the award, Anvir said: "It's such a great feeling. I am overjoyed to receive an award that is named after a great personality like Mother Teresa."
On the same day, the award was handed over to eminent personalities from India and Bangladesh. Physician Dr Ashok Poddar was awarded the “Mother Teresa Ratna”.
A cultural show was also organized on the occasion. At the beginning of the main function, a minute of silence was observed to mourn the late cabinet minister of West Bengal Sadhan Pandey and the late recipients of the Mother Teresa honours.
In his opening remarks, Anthony Arun Biswas said: "I was with Mother Teresa till her death. I first sent a letter to Vatican City asking her to be a saint."
“I still get emotional when I read Mother's handwritten letter,” he added.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and some other distinguished personalities of Bangladesh received this award for their contributions to their respective fields.