129 foreign nationals, organisations to get state honour

The government will confer the “Bangladesh Freedom Honour” award on some 129 foreign nationals and organisations for their outstanding contributions to the 1971 War of Liberation.
Foreign ministry sources said the government, till yesterday, has sent invitations to 110 awardees and 52 of them so far have confirmed to attend the first phase of the award-giving ceremony on March 27.
More confirmations are expected till the arrival of the awardees in Dhaka on March 24.
The award recipients are from countries including India, Russia, USA, UK, Italy, Japan, Nepal, former Yugoslavia, Cuba, Argentina, Switzerland, Bhutan, Sweden, Denmark, Vietnam, Germany, Australia, Canada and Ireland.
They will be conferred the state honour in a ceremonial reception at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city, where President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will distribute the medals, crests and citations among them.
Family members and close relatives of those posthumously awarded have been invited to receive the award on their behalf.