"It is the responsibility of us who are in the upper level of society to find out the persons who are making such great sacrifices:" PM

On Tuesday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the populace to support the committed individuals who are giving back to society in various regions of the nation.

"I would like to ask you to look for such selfless people everywhere, who are not in the spotlight and don't have any publicity or campaigns," she added, expressing gratitude for the sacrifice made by Ziaul Haque, the Chapainawabganj native who won the Ekushey Padak-2024 competition and sold yoga mats.

The premier made these remarks after the presentation of the "Ekushey Padak 2024" to 21 distinguished individuals in honor of their exceptional accomplishments across a range of disciplines.

During an event held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, she presented the Ekushey Padak, which is the second most prestigious civilian honor in the nation. According to the prime minister, Ziaul Haque devoted his life to illuminating the minds of people unable to receive an education.

She said, "It is the responsibility for us who are in the upper level of society to find out the persons who are making such great sacrifices," gesturing to the social elites.

The premier welcomed the prize winners and expressed gratitude for their commitment to the community.

With the meager money he gained by selling yogarts, Ziaul spent his whole life building a public library and giving out free books to pupils who couldn't afford them. For his social service efforts, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak-2024.

Even though he was an excellent student, he struggled in life since he couldn't afford to attend school. The wonderful guy began taking on the burden of helping underprivileged kids and giving free books to children who couldn't afford them. In 1969, he established a family library before establishing the "Ziaul Haque Common Library," a public library.

Hasina, who is also Bangabandhu's eldest daughter, promised to set up a permanent site and structure for the public library that Ziaul created, as he had requested when he was granted the Ekushey Padak.

Furthermore, she stated that if he so chooses, the government will act to nationalize the institution he founded.

With reference to Bangladesh's history, the prime minister claimed that since taking office in 1996, her administration has been successful in releasing the country from historical misconception.

"After Awami League came to power in 1996, I think we've at least been able to release the people from the twisted past. People are now aware of the true history of the Liberation War and the Language Movement," she stated.

Speaking to Bangabandhu's involvement in the Language Movement, Sheikh Hasina stated that regrettably, there has been an effort to obliterate from history the historical significance of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She added that since he led the Language Movement, Bangabandhu had been imprisoned. "Considering he had made no contributions, why was he in jail at the time?" She enquired.

The prime minister said that her administration was responsible for restoring Bangladesh's glorious reputation, which had been damaged between 1975 and 1996.

"We must move forward and maintain this reputation going forward. She declared, "We'll move on the international stage with dignity and with our heads held high."

The event was planned by the Cultural Affairs Ministry in honor of International Mother Language Day (2024) and "Amar Ekushey."

Among the recipients of this prize were the freedom fighter Hatem Ali Mia (posthumous) and Ashraf Uddin Ahmed (posthumous), who were recognized for their contributions to the Language Movement. Also honored for their contributions to music were Jalal Uddin Kha (posthumous), freedom fighter Kalyani Ghosh, Bidit Lal Das (posthumous), Andrew Kishore (posthumous), and Subhro Deb; for their acting and dancing, Shibli Mohammad, Dolly Zahur, and MA Alamgir received recognition.

Additionally, Rupa Chakraborty and well-known orator Shimul Mustapha received the Ekushey Padak.

Kawsar Chowdhury and Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash received recognition for their work on Liberation War-related documentaries and paintings.

Rafiq Ahmed and Md Ziaul Haque received the social services award.

Jinabodhi Bhikkhu was given the honor for his work in education, while Muhammad Samad, Lutfur Rahman Riton, Minar Mansur, and Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah were recognized for their contributions to language and literature. 

Under the direction of Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed, Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain presided over the award ceremony and read aloud the tributes of the honorees.

End//voice7news.tv