President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Padma Awards, the highest civilian awards of the Indian state, for 2020 and 2021 through a Civil Investiture Ceremony held over two days Rashtrapati Bhavan this week.
Four Bangladeshis were recognized over the two days, with the 2020 awards ceremony that was precluded by the Covid-19 pandemic held together with 2021.
The Padma Shri Award was presented to Lt Col (Retd.) Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir for Public Affairs.
Colonel Sajjad was a freedom fighter recognized with the Bir Protik, a Swadhinata Padak winner, and independent researcher who has authored a number of books on the Bangladesh Liberation War.
He was a serving officer in the Pakistan Army, when he defected to join the call of Bangabandhu for an independent Bangladesh.
He has also played a pivotal role for the ‘Friends of Bangladesh’ award of the government of Bangladesh, which was constituted to recognize contributions of citizens of other countries, or foreigners, who played a significant role in the War of Liberation.
Eminent musicologist Sanjida Khatun received the Padma Shri Award for Art.
She was one of the principal founders of Bangladesh Mukti Sangrami Shilpi Sangstha during the Liberation War of 1971, as well as Chhayyanaut, devoted to Bengali culture, in the early 1960s.
Under her tutelage, Chhayanaut has risen to be recognized as an institute par excellence, promoting classical music and dance forms and earning global repute.
The Padma Bhushan, which is one level up from the Padma Shri and the third-highest civilian award conferred by India, went posthumously to the late diplomat Syed Muazzem Ali (Posthumous) for Public Affairs.
Ambassador Syed Muazzem Ali, a member of the distinguished Bangladesh Foreign Service, served as High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India from 2014-2019 and played a key role in bringing about greater political, economic, and security cooperation between the two countries.
He was closely associated with starting energy cooperation and land connectivity between Bangladesh and India.
Another Padma Shri was conferred on Prof Enamul Haque for Archeology.
He is the founding Director General of the National Museum of Bangladesh.
He is a distinguished archeologist and a highly respected cultural activist who dedicated his life to the field of archaeology and the associated development of the Museum.