The Independence Day Award (Bengali: স্বাধীনতা দিবস পদক), also termed Independence Award (Bengali: স্বাধীনতা পুরস্কার), is the highest state award given by the government of Bangladesh. Introduced in 1977, this award is bestowed upon Bangladeshi citizens or organizations in recognition of substantial contribution to one of many fields, including the War of Liberation, the language movement, education, literature, journalism, public service, science and technology, medical science, social science, song, games and sports, fine arts, rural development, and other areas.
Each awardee receives a gold medal, a certificate of honour, and a sum of cash. The amount of the cash reward was originally taka 20 thousand, but was subsequently increased to taka one lac (.10 million in Bangladeshi currency) in 2004. A cabinet committee on national awards prepares the list of each year's nominees and forwards the list to the head of the government for final approval. The award is traditionally presented on the eve of Independence day in Bangladesh at a much publicized ceremony attended by several cabinet and parliament members and distinguished society guests.
In 2006, the award generated some controversy as the initial list was not accepted by the Prime Minister. Furthermore, the award to the Rapid Action Battalion was criticized by many because of RAB's alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings.
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List of awardees –1977 –1978 –1979 –1980 –1981 –1982 –1983–1984 –1985 –1986 –1987 –1988 –1989 –1990 –1991 –1992 –1993 –1994 –1995 –1996 –1997 –1998 –2000 –2001 –2002 –2003 –2004 –2005 –2006 –2007 –2008 –2009 –2010 -–2011 –References |
Famous quotes containing the words independence, day and/or award:
“In England the judges should have independence to protect the people against the crown. Here the judges should not be independent of the people, but be appointed for not more than seven years. The people would always re-elect the good judges.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“The presence of a grandparent confirms that parents were, indeed, little once, too, and that people who are little can grow to be big, can become parents, and one day even have grandchildren of their own. So often we think of grandparents as belonging to the past; but in this important way, grandparents, for young children, belong to the future.”
—Fred Rogers (20th century)
“The award of a pure gold medal for poetry would flatter the recipient unduly: no poem ever attains such carat purity.”
—Robert Graves (1895–1985)