24 Eminent Persons Named for Ekushey Padak

The government has announced the names of 24 renowned citizens for awarding Ekushey Padak-2021, in an effort to recognize their contributions to the respective fields.

The nominees were announced in a press release issued by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs on Thursday.

This year, two are getting Ekushey Padak in the language movement category, four in the liberation war category, seven in art, two in language and literature, two in social service, and four in research.

Besides, one each has been nominated for Ekushey Padak in Journalism, Science and Technology, and Education.

Mostafa MA Matin (posthumous) and Mirza Tofazzal Hossain Mukul (posthumous) won the award in the field of Language Movement.

Prof Md Matiur Rahman, Syed Moazzem Ali (posthumous), QABM Rahman, and Amzad Ali Khandaker have been chosen under the category of Liberation War.

Jinat Barkatullah has been awarded for dance; Nazrul Islam Babu (posthumous), Iqbal Ahmed and Mahmudur Rahman Benu for music; Khaled Mahmud Khan (posthumous), Afzal hossain and Masum Aziz in acting.

MA Malek won the award for journalism while Prof Dr Gautam Buddha Das won in education, SM Abraham Lincoln and Sangharaj Gyanshree Mahather in social service.

Poets Kamal Chowdhury and Jharna Das Purkayastha won in language and literature category.

Md Anawar Hossain won in science and technology, and Dr Md Abdus Sattar Mandal for research, and Dr. Mohammad Enamul Haque (Team Leader), Dr Shahanaz Sultana and Dr. Jannatul Ferdous of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute have been nominated for Ekushey Padak for their discovery of high yielding varieties of paddy.