Mehdi Hasan Khan, the creator of the Bangla keyboard software Avro, who has been nominated for the 2025 Ekushey Padak in the science and technology category, does not want to take sole credit and will share the honours with the entire Avro team, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has said.
Farooki in a Facebook post on Sunday said Mehdi has acknowledged the contributions of three of his friends in the development of Avro, leading to a decision to honour the entire Avro team collectively with the Ekushey Padak.
The adviser wrote: "Let me say it openly today—we knew that Mehdi Hasan Khan was not interested in receiving the award. He had been approached before as well.
“Even knowing that he might refuse, we in the cabinet agreed to announce the award. Through this, we wanted to send a message about who we choose to celebrate."
He continued: "When I spoke to him yesterday, he was still hesitant. Finally, he agreed to accept the award, but he did not want to take sole credit. He insisted that his three friends—Rifat Nabi, Tanbin Islam Siam, and Shabab Mustafa—who played key roles in developing Avro, should also be recognized.”
“We are delighted to announce that these four brilliant individuals, who moved forward against the tide, will be honoured collectively with the Ekushey Padak for their work on Avro," Farooki added.
"All four friends are coming to Bangladesh from different parts of the world to receive the award. Cannot wait to welcome you all. I am sure this is going to inspire a lot of young people to move forward no matter what—and to move forward together. Bangladesh, onwards and upwards."