The name of SM Raij Uddin Ahmed has been dropped from the list of “Swadhinata Padak 2020,” or the Independence Award, recipients.
The government published a revised list on Thursday dropping his name, reports UNB.
On February 20, the government chose nine renowned personalities and an organization for the highest state award, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
Former government official Raij Uddin, a little-known writer who has reportedly written more than 25 books, was picked for the prestigious award in the literature category.
SM Raij Uddin Ahmed | Collected
His selection had led to confusion in the cultural arena and criticisms from various quarters, with many veteran authors and litterateurs expressing astonishment saying they never heard of Raij Uddin.
Other awardees of this year are Jute and Textiles Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, Commander Abdur Rouf (posthumous), Md Anwar Pasha (posthumous) and Azizur Rahman for Independence and Liberation War; Prof Dr Md Obaidul Kabir Chowdhury and Prof Dr AKMA Muqtadir for medical science; Kalipada Das and Ferdousi Mazumder for culture; and Bharateswari Homes for education.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over the awards at a function in Dhaka on March 25.
Each of the awardees will receive a gold medal, a cheque of Tk5 lakh and a certificate of honour.
Since 1977, Bangladesh has been honouring individuals and institutions with the award every year ahead of the Independence Day, March 26.
