100 Foreigners to be honoured, Indira Gandhi will get spl honour

Diplomatic Correspondent
A national committee is expected to finalise a list of some 100 foreigners to be honoured on the occasion of the 40th Independence Day on March 26 next year for their contribution to the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
The committee met for a third time yesterday with foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni in the chair at the foreign ministry. After the committee’s approval the list will go to the cabinet for final approval.
The heroes will be honoured in Dhaka and those who cannot make it, will be given the honour by the Bangladesh missions abroad.
Talking to the reporters after the meeting, Dipu Moni said that the draft list had been reviewed. The list will however only be finalized in the next meeting.
She said that foreigners, even Pakistanis would be included in the list for their contribution to Bangladesh’s Independence struggle and movement for releasing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Pakistani jail in 1971.
The sources participating in the meeting told this reporter that the late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi would be conferred a special honour for her “immense” support to the Liberation war.
“Some 100 foreign nationals of different categories are expected to be ceremonially awarded coinciding with our 40th Independence Day on March 26 next year in Dhaka . . . but Mrs. Gandhi would be conferred with a special honour,” secretary of the Liberation War Ministry Uzzal Bikash Dutta said.
He said a national committee constituted earlier nominated her for the special honour for her “unique” role in “offering training to freedom fighters, refuge to millions of people who fled the country and building world opinion for Bangladesh’s independence”.
At least 41 Indian civilian and military people including current finance minister Pranab Mukherjee were in the draft list. Former US senator Edward Kennedy, singer George Harrison, French author and politician André Malraux, Soviet president Nikolai Podgorny, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, British leaders Edward Heath, BBC journalists Mark Tally and Simon Dring and US daily New York Times were the other prominent figures in the list suggested for the award.
Dutta said people belonging to different categories like foreign statesmen, politicians, diplomats, soldiers, artistes, writers, journalists, rights activists and groups and media like BBC and All India radio have also been chosen for the award.
The Government proposes to invite the recipients or their relatives to receive the awards in Dhaka.
Earlier, the government had formed a committee headed by foreign minister Dr. Dipu Moni to identify foreigners who had backed Bangladesh’s liberation struggle. A joint secretary of the ministry of liberation affairs will act as the member secretary of the committee.


published 23,August 2010, The Independent