Eight get 'NRB Day Award 2023'
Eight individuals have received the "NRB Day Award" for their contribution to various sectors, including education, health, industry, technology, financial services, agriculture, and culture, after returning from abroad.
At the initiative of Scholars Bangladesh Society and Center for NRB Foundation, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen awarded the recipients at a ceremony held at Crystal Ballroom of Hotel Intercontinental on Saturday afternoon.
Scholars Bangladesh Society co-founder and CEO Dilara Afroz Khan Rupa conducted and moderated the event.
Ghulam Mohammed Alomgir, chairman of Max Group, received a special award.
Other awardees were Prof Tanweer Hasan, vice chancellor of Independent University Bangladesh (education), Dr Iftikher Mahmood and Dr Shahid Aziz (health), Mohammed Enayetur Rahman (technology), Sirajus Salekin and Shams Ahmed (art and culture), Sohel Chowdhury (agriculture). Mobile financial service Bikash also received an award which was received by Maj Gen Sheikh Md Monirul Islam (rtd), chief external and corporate affairs officer of the company.
The cover of a book, written by Prabir Bikash Sarkar on Bangabandhu's relationship with Japan, was unveiled at the event.
Prof Pema Gyalpo of the Institute of International Japanese Studies, Takushoku University, Japan, received a special award for his special contribution to the country's liberation war.
Speaking as chief guest, Momen said, "Today is a happy day as this is the first time the nation is celebrating NRB Day. We got the day recognised after multiple efforts. Our 81 missions around the world are celebrating the day together. The contribution of Scholars Bangladesh Society President ME Chowdhury Shamim and Chief Executive Dilara Afroz Khan Rupa behind the nationalisation of the day is undeniable."
Attending as special guest, Dhaka University Emeritus Professor Dr Atiur Rahman said, "Even if the expatriates are abroad, they always carry a piece of Bangladesh in their heart. Expatriates send 70-80 percent of their income to their families. If they send money to the family, it benefits the family as well as the country. The government should be more proactive in solving the problems of expatriates."
ME Chowdhury Shamim, founder and president of Scholars Bangladesh Society and Center for NRB Foundation, said, "My wife Dilara Afroz Khan Rupa and I left the job of IBM Corporation in the United States and returned to Bangladesh in 2005 with some special objectives and goals in mind. One of these was the establishment and getting recognition of NRB Day. Since 2005, we have been raising the demand for this day privately and since 2017, we have been celebrating 30 December nationally. We are happy that Prabashi Day has been recognized as a national day today."
The theme song, logo unveiling and discussion programmes marking the day were organised on the first day of celebration on Friday.
Apart from this, the children of six expatriates who died in accidents while working abroad were given financial assistance for education.
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