<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked all to identify and honour the dedicated souls who have been working silently for the welfare of people in different parts of the country.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“There are many dedicated souls in different areas – villages and urban areas—of the country. I would like to call upon you to find such dedicated persons who have been working not for themselves but for the welfare of the people.&nbsp; They never can come to the limelight or don’t want to come to limelight,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier made this call while giving out the Independence Award-2024 to 10 distinguished individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She handed over the highest civilian award to the recipients or their family members at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister said it would be a great thing if all make efforts to find out the persons who are working for the welfare of the people with their own ventures being self-motivated and they can be awarded. “We’ve been trying our best to do so,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She greeted all the awardees who received the Independence Award-2024 for their contribution in different fields.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"I believe that many people will be inspired to work for the welfare of the country and people (after seeing recognition of good works) with conferment of the award," said Hasina.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM slammed the BNP-Jamaat clique and their accomplices who had distorted the history of the Liberation War after assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said the people of several generations were taken to destruction by distortion of the history of the 1971 Liberation War.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“But today new generations want to know and understand the history and build their life with inspiration they get from it. So, it's the matter of great optimism for us,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After assuming power, the Awami League let people particularly the new generation know the true history of the Liberation War of 1971, she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Noting that Bangladesh will start its journey as the developing country in 2026, she said, "We have been able to scale up Bangladesh at least one step."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister said now they have been working to transform Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and Smart Sonar Bangladesh by 2041 in line with her party's 2024 election manifesto.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Referring to arson violence unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat alliance that hampered country's journey towards prosperity, she hoped that they would come to their sense.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The Awami League has proved that a country can prosper if peace and democratic trend continues," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier strongly condemned the Israeli attack on Gaza, saying Bangladedh always supports Palestine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She reiterated Bangladesh's stance that the country is always against war. "We never want war, we want peace," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM said Bangladesh even try to solve the Rohingya issue through holding talks with Myanmar.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Freedom fighter Kazi Abdus Sattar Bir Pratik, Freedom fighter flight sergeant Md Fazlul Haque (posthumous) and Freedom fighter Shaheed Abu Nayem Md Nazib Uddin Khan (Khurram) (posthumous) received the prestigious award for their contributions to Bangladesh's independence and the Liberation War.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dr Mobarak Ahmad Khan was honoured with the award for his contribution to science and technology, while Dr Harishankar Das for his contribution to medicine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mohammad Rafikuzzaman and Firoza Khatun received the honour for their contribution to culture and sports respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aranya Chiran, freedom fighter Prof Dr Mollah Obaidul Baki and SM Abraham Lincoln were given the award in the social service category.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On behalf of the awardees, Rafikuzzaman expressed his feelings in the award giving ceremony.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain moderated the function and read out the citations with a brief life sketch of the recipients.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh has been honouring individuals and institutions with the award every year ahead of Independence Day on March 26 since 1977. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>