Though December is undeniably the best of times for receptions in
Bangladesh, no foreign friend or institution has been invited this time
around for their contribution in the nation’s quest for independence in
1971, said officials.
Since 2011, the Awami League-led government of prime minister Sheikh
Hasina made it a point to honour in batches the nation’s foreign friends
for what they did during the War of Inde
pendence in 1971.
In 2011, Hasina conferred the honours on former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi posthumously.
In 2012, Hasina invited the foreign friends thrice, in March, October and December, to honour them.
In 2013, Indian president Pranab Mukherjee was invited and conferred
Bangladesh’s independence honours on March 4 and later in the same month
69 friends from a host of countries were honoured.
In October, 60 more foreign friends of Bangladesh were honoured for their 1971 contributions.
But, this December the government skipped any such event, liberation war
affair ministry joint secretary Abul Kashem Talukder told New Age.
Asked the probable time for the next such event, he said, a new government could do it on March 26, 2014.
Until October, in seven phases, Bangladesh honoured 338 personalities
and institutions out of 562 from 30 countries for standing by the nation
during the darkest days of 1971.
Bangladesh Freedom Honour, the highest award, was conferred only on
Indira Gandhi, Bangladesh Liberation War Honour was conferred on 15
foreign heads of state and Bangladesh Friends of Liberation War Honour
was conferred on 322 personalities and institutions.
The cabinet division hosted the events in association with the ministries of foreign and liberation war affairs.
The Liberation War honours were conferred on 216 Indian personalities
and nine institutions, 29 US personalities, 17 Pakistanis, 13 British,
11 Russians and the rest from 16 other countries.
Among the ‘friends of Bangladesh,’ honoured were several statesmen, philosophers, intellectuals, institutions.
The recipients were given gold-plated silver replicas of the National Memorial and a citation.
There is little possibility of holding such events in future as due
physical condition and age many personalities in the list are unable to
travel said a liberation war ministry official.
And some of them could not be traced due to change of address or death, he said.
Officials said, a future prime minister or foreign minister would have
to confer the honors to the representatives of the remaining
personalities who are unable to travel. (source)