Bangladeshi activist wins Gusi Peace Prize

A Bangladeshi rights activist has been named as one of the winners of a Philippine-based international peace prize this year.

AHM Nouman won the ‘Gusi Peace Prize International’ for his contribution “to poverty alleviation and humanitarianism”.

He is the founder and Secretary General of Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP), a national NGO.

The Gusi foundation introduced the award in 2002.

It recognised people for their works in attaining peace, respect and dignity for human life, brings out the best of human achievements, ideas and values.

This is the first time a Bangladeshi won the award, DORP says in a media release.

The award will be handed over to him on Nov 27 in Manila, the 4th Wednesday of the month that the foundation observes as the International Friend Day.

This year, 17 eminent personalities across the world will receive the award in peace, human rights, poverty alleviation, politics, history, economics, academic, humanity, social service, statesmanship, pianist, architecture, research, diplomacy and chemistry, categories.

Mauritius’ President Rajkeswur Purryag, Prince of Saudi Arabia Bandar Bin Khalid Al Faisal Al Saud, Estonia’s former President Arnold Ruutel, Sudan’s former Prime Minister Al-Saddig Abdel Rahman Al-Mahdi, and Romania’s former president Prof Dr Emil Constantinescu are among the winners.

According to DORP, Nouman had been working for poverty alleviation since 1970.

Born in 1947, he has been engaged in relief, rehabilitation and human rights work in greater Noakhali district with a slogan ‘Creation from Devastation’ after Bangladesh’s worst ever cyclone in Nov, 1970.

He is the founder of the first ever ‘Bishawgram’ (clustered village) through cooperative society.