Dhaka: Bangladesh is set to honour former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his contribution to the country’s Liberation War which led to its independence in 1971.
The award for Vajpayee will be handed over to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming Bangladesh visit, which is likely to take place on June 6-7.
The ceremony will be held when the present premier, Narendra Modi, pays a state visit next month.
A highly placed source said that an inter-ministerial meeting would be held tomorrow to finalize the award category. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the national coordination committee on honouring the foreign friends at the foreign ministry with Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque in the chair.Â
Bangladesh introduced two award categories- “Bangladesh Liberation War Honour†and “Friends of Liberation War Honour†and so far awarded several hundred foreigners.
Former premier Indira Gandhi was awarded on July 25, 2012 and President Pranab Mukherjee on March 5, 2013
Indira Gandhi is the first among the foreign friends of Bangladesh to be conferred the highest state honour. Her daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi, also the Congress president, received the posthumous award from then Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman
A total of 338 foreign individuals and organisations were honoured from 2011 to 2013 in three categories- Bangladesh Freedom Honour, Bangladesh Liberation War Honour, and Friends of Liberation War Honour.
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