Published : 06 Mar 2026, 05:47 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:26 PM
Zafrullah Chowdhury has been named for the 2026 Independence Award, marking a rare instance where a recipient has been chosen for the highest civilian honour for a second time.
In a media statement issued by the Cabinet Division on Thursday, the late founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra was named for a posthumous award in the social service and public service category.
Official records, however, showed that he was among the first 10 individuals to receive the Independence Award in 1977, the year of its inception, for his contributions to population control.
The Independence Award is the highest civilian state honour in Bangladesh, typically granted only once to an individual or institution for outstanding national contributions.
Under existing norms, the Independence Award is a one-time honour for any individual.
The issue was previously clarified by the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) last year when a proposal to re-honour general MAG Osmani was dismissed.
A statement, issued by the CAO, at the time noted: "There is no precedent of any Bangladeshi receiving the country’s highest award twice."
Osmani had received the award in 1985, and the proposal to honour him again was subsequently dropped to maintain the award's tradition.
This year, the government has nominated 15 individuals, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia, and five institutions for the award.
Seven of the individual recipients are being honoured posthumously.
The inclusion of Zafrullah’s name in the 2026 list has sparked a debate over whether this is a policy shift or a factual error by the Cabinet Division.
As of Thursday night, the government has not issued a clarification.
