Cabinet committee decides to take back Gen Zia's Independence Award

The Cabinet Committee on National Awards has decided to withdraw the Swadhinata Padak posthumously conferred on Liberation War Sector Commander and BNP founder Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 August 2016, 06:41 PM
Updated : 27 August 2016, 06:54 PM

The committee took the decision at a meeting presided over by Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday. A member of the panel present at the meeting confirmed the move to bdnews24.com on Saturday.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam would not speak on the matter. When bdnews24.com called him for his comment, he responded, ‘Wrong number’, before hanging up.

The committee has also proposed removing the medal and certificate related to the Swadhinata Padak, or Independence Award, from the National Museum.

BNP founder and the country’s first military ruler Zia and the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were conferred the Independence Award posthumously during the BNP government's tenure in 2003.

The then opposition leader and Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister, had protested the move at the time.

The Cabinet committee's proposal to withdraw the late military dictator Gen Zia's award will be sent to the prime minister for final clearance now. The decision will be gazetted once it gets Sheikh Hasina's approval.

A file sent to the committee on July 28 from the Prime Minister's Office mentioned the High Court verdict declaring all military regimes, including the one led by Gen Zia, illegal.

It also said the Independence Award, the highest civilian award of the country, is given to a limited number of individuals or organisations that have played extraordinary roles in the history of the country and in promoting people's welfare.