DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday handed over Independence Awards (Swadhinota Puroskar) for the year 2015 to eight personalities for their outstanding contributions to the nation.

The premier handed over the awards at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in city.

The awardees are late Commandant Manik Chowdhury for his special role in greater 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, agricultural researcher and former director general of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute Dr Mohammad Hossain Mondal and late journalist Santosh Gupta were announced to be rewarded.

Cabinet members, cabinet secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, foreign ambassadors and parliamentarians also were present in the program.

On March 4, the cabinet division issued a gazette notification mentioning names of eight personalities who were selected for the award this year.

The awardees got a gold medal, a certificate and Tk 100,000 each.

The government gives the award to noted persons of the country for their contributions in various fields each year ahead of March 26, the Independence Day.

BDST: 1159 HRS, MAR 25, 2015