Foreign Friends in 1971
61 to be honoured tomorrow
Bangladesh will confer awards on 61 more foreign friends tomorrow for their outstanding contributions to the country's Liberation War 41 years ago.
President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will ceremonially hand over "Muktijuddho Moitri Sammanana" to them at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
The 61, most of them from India, are receiving the state honour in the third phase. Earlier, Bangladesh's government honoured a number of foreign friends in July 2011 and March this year.
The foreign friends' support came when Bangalees stood up against the atrocities and genocide and contributed to the eventful emergence of sovereign Bangladesh through a nine-month war.
Among the recipients this time is a former Indian army officer Col (retd) Ashok Tara who rescued Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other family members from the captivity of Pakistani troops from their house in Dhaka in 1971. Col Tara, now 70, also took part in several deadly battles with Pakistani troops in the war.
Late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first foreign friend to be conferred with the honour. Her daughter-in-law and Congress President Sonia Gandhi received the honour on her behalf on July 25, 2011. In the second phase, Bangladesh awarded 83 with “Bangladesh Liberation War Honour” and “Friends of Liberation War Honour” on March 27.
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