Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday handed over Ekushey Padak-2015 to the country’s 15 eminent personalities in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
The recipients were Piaru Sardar for Language Movement (posthumous), Prof M Mujibur Rahman Devdas for the War of Independence, Prof Dwijen Sharma for language and literature, Muhammad Nurul Huda for language and literature, Abdur Rahman Boyati for art and culture (posthumous), SA Abul Hayat for art and culture, ATM Shamsuzzaman for art and culture, Prof MA Mannan for education, Sanat Kumar Saha for education, Abul Kalam Mohammad Zakaria for research, Kamal Lohani for journalism, Faridur Reza Sagar for mass media, Jharna Dhara Chowdhury for social service, Srimat Satyapriyo Mohathero for social service and Prof Dr Arup Ratan Chowdhury for social service.
Hasina formally handed over the Ekushey Padak at a function at city’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the morning. Each padak carries a cheque for Tk1 lakh, crest and citation.
About February 21, the prime minister said this day has brought a different dimension to the lives of the country’s people as Ekush lit the flame of the spirit of all. “Ekush has taught us not to bow down to anyone…Ekush is the cornerstone of our language, culture and self identity.”
The prime minister said her government has established the International Mother Language Institute to collect, preserve and flourish the languages of the small, ethnic groups of the world.
She also renewed her pledge to build a hunger and poverty-free middle-income country by 2021 and a prosperous developed country by 2041.
Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor presided over the Ekushey Padak distribution programme, organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
Cultural Affairs Secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar Biswas delivered the welcome address, while Cabinet Secretary Md Musharraf Hussain Bhuiyan conducted the function and read out the citation of the Ekushey Padak recipients with their brief life sketches.
Ministers, advisers to the prime minister, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, judges, parliament members, Jatiya Party Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad, the chiefs of the three services, diplomats, vice-chancellors of different universities and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.
