22 honoured with Deshbandhu CR Das Gold Medals

Winners of Deshbandhu CR Das Gold Medals pose with Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdullah Al Noman and other guests at the award giving ceremony at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

The Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das Gobeshana Parishad (CR Das Research Institute) awarded them in recognition of their outstanding contribution to different fields. The winners have been selected for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, who attended the ceremony as the chief guest, gave away the gold medals to the awardees while Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdullah Al Noman was present as special guest.

The winners of 2004 are former president Abdur Rahman Biswas and Eng. Md Shahiduzzaman MP (social service), Meyor Sadeque Hossain Khoka (city service), Rezaul Bari Dina MP (organiser), Quazi Sirajul Islam (advancement of education), Rokia Afzal Rahman (empowerment of women), Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed (economist) and Syed Abu Naser Bukhtear Ahmed (banking).

Congratulating the awardees, Abdullah Al Noman said the research on eminent personalities and giving the awards would have a positive impact on politics.

The present politics cannot establish the rights of the countrymen as vengeance has seriously been undermining the democratic practice, he said.

The awardees of 2003 are Md Shahid Alam (city development), Sharif Rafiqul Islam (water resources expert), Khatib Abdul Jahid Mukul (social service), Dr M Akhtaruzzaman (medical service), Ferdausi Rahman (music), Md Nazrul Islam (industrialisation) and Mohammad Noor Ali (best producer).

SM Abdul Mannan (social service), Dr Qazi M Badruddoza (agriculture), Qazi Abdul Alim (sports), Abdul Jabber Khan (posthumous) (film), M Aman Ullah (banking and insurance), Towhida Anowar (women's empowerment) and Syed Abu Siddique (agriculture-based industrialisation) received the award for 2002.

Speaking on the occasion, Rokia Afzal Rahman, former advisor of a caretaker government who won the award, said the credit goes to the rural women for whom she works.

The women of Bangladesh have achieved a remarkable success in the arena of empowerment, she said, adding that the latest report of the World Economic Forum reveals that the country is far ahead of many of its neighbours in terms of women's empowerment.

Rokia also said that she received the award on behalf of women in Bangladesh.

Former secretary ABM Golam Mostofa, Secretary General of the institute MA Matin, Chairman Heshamuddin Ahmad and Vice-Chairman ATM Ahsan Habib Kohinur also spoke.

The CR Das Research Institute has been giving the awards since 1992.