Faraaz Hossain Courage Award ceremony today

Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain

True courage is demonstrated when an individual, facing extreme danger, stands up to protect a fellow human being.

And the whole world has seen such a demonstration of bravery and selflessness thanks to 20-year-old Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain, who refused to desert his friends and was brutally killed by terrorists during the July 1 terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka.

Since then, his sacrifice is being recognised all over the world.

 In honour of this great human sacrifice and courage shown by Faraaz, the first Faraaz Hossain Courage Award will be conferred on the winner through a programme at 5:30pm today at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in the city. Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo INC, Indra K Nooyi will hand over the award.

In recognition of such acts of courage, PepsiCo Global took the decision of launching the annual Faraaz Hossain Courage Award from 2016 by setting up a fund of USD 200,000. This will support a USD 10,000 prize to be awarded annually for the next 20 years.

The purpose of the award is to recognise acts of exceptional courage by individuals setting examples of empathy for fellow human beings, to encourage the spirit of bravery among Bangladeshi youth, the very spirit that Faraaz inspires.

The jury that selected the winner of the Faraaz Hossain Courage Award 2016 is comprised of eminent personalities; BRAC Founder and Chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG, (jury chair), Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Chairman Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, renowned Tagore exponent Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, Standard Chartered Bank CEO Abrar Anwar, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka, President Syed Nasim Manzur, American International School, Dhaka, teacher Sabahat Jahan, PepsiCo Bangladesh Country Manager Manish Muley and Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain's grandfather Latifur Rahman.