Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has handed over Ekushey Padak-2016 to the country’s 16 eminent personalities in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
Of the recipients, Justice Kazi Ebadul Haque, Dr Sayeed Haider, Syed Golam Kibria (posthumously), and Dr Jasim Uddin Ahmed were given the award for their contribution to the language movement, Jahanara Ahmed for acting, Pandit Amaresh Roy Chowdhury for classical music, Shahin Samad for music, Amanul Haque for dance, Kazi Anwar Hossain (posthumously) for painting, Mafidul Haque for Liberation War, Toab Khan for journalism; ABM Abdullah and Maung Than Sein for research, and Jyotiprakash Datta, Hayat Mamud and Habibullah Siraji for contribution to language and literature.
The prime minister formally handed over the Ekushey Padak at a function at city’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Saturday morning.
After distributing the award, Sheikh Hasina urged all to protect the dignity of the language in everyday affairs as well as spreading its splendor across the world.
She said people need to learn foreign languages for job but they should not forget mother language.