Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday handed over “Swadhinata Purashkar-2020” (Independence Award-2020), the highest national award, to eight distinguished persons including two posthumously and an educational institute.

The premier attended the award giving ceremony virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital.

On behalf of the Prime Minister, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque handed over the Independence Award-2020 to the recipients in recognition of their glorious and outstanding contribution to their respective fields.

The Cabinet Division organised the function from the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the morning.

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam moderated the function and read out the citations with brief life sketch of the recipients.

The recipients are: Jute and Textiles Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi, MP, and Azizur Rahman for Independence and Liberation War, one of the key Liberation War organisers Commander Abdur Rouf (posthumous), martyred intellectual Md Anwar Pasha (posthumous), Professor Dr Md Obaidul Kabir Chowdhury and Prof Dr AKMA Muktadir for medical science, Kalipada Das and actress Ferdousi Mazumdar for culture and Bharateswari Homes, a boarding school for girls in Tangail, for education.

Of the recipients, Azizur Rahman had recently died of Covid-19.

Prof Dr AKMA Muktadir on behalf of the awardees expressed his feeling on receipt of the highest civilian award. Each award recipient was awarded with a gold medal weighing 50 grams of gold of 18 karat, a certificate and Tk 500,000.

Since 1977, Bangladesh has honoured individuals and institutions with the award every year ahead of Independence Day on March 26.