The Independence Day Award ( bn, স্বাধীনতা পদক), also termed Independence Award ( bn, স্বাধীনতা পুরস্কার), Swadhinata Padak, and Swadhinata Puroskar, is the highest state award given by the government of

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

. Introduced in 1977 by president

Ziaur Rahman Lt. General Ziaur Rahman (19 January 1936 – 30 May 1981), was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981. He was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in Chittagong in an army coup ...

, this award is bestowed upon Bangladeshi citizens or organizations in recognition of substantial contribution to one of many fields, including the

War of Liberation Wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) to establish separa ...

, the Language Movement, education, literature, journalism, public service, science and technology, medical science, social science, song, games and sports, fine arts,

rural development Rural development is the process of improving the quality life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of ...

, and other areas. Each awardee receives a gold medal, a certificate of honour, and 500,000 Bangladeshi takas (US$5803). A cabinet committee on national awards prepares the list of each year's nominees and forwards the list to the head of the government for final approval. The award is traditionally presented on the eve of

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...

in Bangladesh at a much publicized ceremony attended by several cabinet and parliament members and distinguished society guests. In 2006, the award generated some controversy as the initial list was not accepted by the Prime Minister, some government ministers had expressed concern over the nomination of three fellow ministers. Furthermore, the award to the Rapid Action Battalion was criticized by many because of RAB's alleged involvement in

extrajudicial killing An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whethe ...

Awards by decade

* List of Independence Day Award recipients (1977–1979) * List of Independence Day Award recipients (1980–1989) * List of Independence Day Award recipients (1990–1999) * List of Independence Day Award recipients (2000–2009) * List of Independence Day Award recipients (2010–2019) * List of Independence Day Award recipients (2020–2029)

References

External links

List of awardees
Cabinet Division, Bangladesh Government {{Bengali honours and decorations Civil awards and decorations of Bangladesh Awards established in 1977 1977 establishments in Bangladesh Bangladeshi media awards