DHAKA: Eight personalities will be awarded Independence Awards (Swadhinota Puroskar) for the year 2015 for their outstanding contributions to the nation.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over the awards at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in city on March 25.

The awardees are late Commandant Manik Chowdhury for his special role in Sylhet during the liberation war; former DIG of Rajshahi range Mamun Mahmud, who was killed by Pakistani army in 1971 for helping freedom fighters; former finance minister Shah A S M Kibria, who expressed his allegiance to the then government of Bangladesh while working at Pakistan Embassy to USA in 1971; Professor Mojaffor Ahmad, adviser to the then Provisional Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, popularly known as the Mujibnagar Government.

Besides, eminent educationist Professor Anisuzzaman, noted film actor Razzaq, former director general of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Dr Mohammad Hossain Mondal and late journalist Santosh Gupta were announced to be rewarded.

BDST: 2126 HRS, MAR 04, 2015