21 to get Ekushey Padak

Dhaka, Feb 12 (bdnews24.com) – Twenty-one individuals will receive the prestigious Ekushey Padak this year for their outstanding contribution to the nation, a government official said on Thursday.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to hand over the award, in commemoration of the 1952 Language Movement martyrs, at the Osmany Auditorium in the city on Feb. 20, the day before the International Mother Language Day on Feb. 21, cultural ministry official Shahjahan Siraj said.

The award-winners are Borhan Uddin Khan Jahangir (education), Syed Anwar Hossain (research), late Mahbub Ul Alam (Language Movement), late Ashraf Uz-Jaman (journalism), Begum Bilkis Nasir Uddin (journalism), late Manik Chandra Saha (journalism), late Humiyun Kabir Balu (journalism), Selina Hossain (literature), Shamsuzzaman Khan (research), Quazi Kholiquzzaman (poverty reduction), Mohammad Rafi Khan (social work), Monsur Ul Karim (fine arts) and Ramendu Majumdar (theatre).

The award contains a medal weighing three tola gold, Tk 40,000 and a citation.

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